


Let's Light this City on Fire

by pouty_hoseok



Series: Claws [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), Miroh - Stray Kids (Music Video), Stray Kids (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Amputation, Angst, Asthma, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bang Chan-centric, Betrayal, Blood and Injury, Choi Soobin-Centric, Class Differences, Crack?, Crossover, Crying, Cussing, Depression, Disability, Discrimination, Drinking, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Dystopia, Everyone Is Gay, Explosions, Explosives, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Guns, Hospitalization, How Do I Tag, Hybrids, Immigration & Emigration, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Kim Hongjoong-centric, Kissing, M/M, POV Multiple, Rebellion, Sad, Smoking, Tranquilizers, Trans Male Character, Trauma, hehe, seonghwa's a bitch, who knows - Freeform, yee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:20:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 103,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28293717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouty_hoseok/pseuds/pouty_hoseok
Summary: Soobin is a panther hybrid coming from South Korea to "world capital", New York City. He doesn't expect much, but, as time progresses, his entire world is turned upside down.Chan is a wolf hybrid masquerading as one of the most hated hybrid exterminators. He's also trying to recover from a botched mission and injured friend. However, he'll soon be watching the city he loves and has grown up in go up in flames because of one man.Hongjoong has just landed his dream job with a nightmare of a boss. Little does he know, Hongjoong's entire world will be rewritten because of this one decision.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Huening Kai/Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Seungmin/Seo Changbin, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin
Series: Claws [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072442
Comments: 21
Kudos: 71





	1. First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> here goes i guess also merry xmas yee

Soobin really, really hopes that his first time on a plane isn’t mentally scarring or terribly disastrous. His tail tightens around his middle and he adjusts his hat, paranoid about it coming off and revealing the small black panther ears on his head. They’re pressed against his hair, which, thankfully, is the same color as his fur. Of course, Soobin knows they’d still be rather obvious if his hat was to come off, hence the reason why he’s wearing it. 

The hybrid shifts in his seat, his senses all high-alert. He’d really rather not sleep with contacts in since they’re a pain to take out and unpleasant when they stick to one’s eyes, but, well, it’s not exactly normal for a human to have golden eyes. Then again, with the way the elite are obsessed with being as flashy as possible, Soobin thinks he could maybe get away with it. But, well, he’s also never been one for taking risks, so he keeps the contacts on as he sits down, shifting a bit. His claws are trying to burst out and it’s taking nearly all of his self-control to keep them sheathed. He just hopes he’ll be able to keep them in while sleeping since the flight from Seoul to New York City is around 14 hours long.

Sighing, Soobin reaches into his pocket and pulls out the little BluScreen. A small picture appears after scanning his face, revealing a young, handsome man. He’s tall and broad-shouldered with plump lips and caramel-colored brown hair. His name, according to the little message he’d received, is Seokjin Kim, since Americans put the last name after the first. It was a bit surprising at first, but Soobin, like nearly every other hybrid, is good at adjusting and also just doesn’t care. 

He shifts, leaning against the cold window and closing his eyes. Well, he supposes the only thing he can do is hope for a peaceful, sleep-filled flight. 

For one of the first times ever, what he wants is what he gets, and Soobin soon finds himself standing awkwardly in an American airport, nervously adjusting his hat. His suitcase is old, though, thankfully, the people around him are all too busy with finding their extravagantly-dressed family members to notice. Most hybrids (though no one here should suspect Soobin of being one) haven’t enough money to be as artificial as the humans that hate them, so it’s a bit of a mark against him as he slowly wanders through the airport. The BluScreen, when he gets close enough, is supposed to start beeping to help him find Seokjin. Soobin’s panther ears pick it up first and he jumps, surprised, before reaching into his pocket and pulling it out. It shows him his location compared to Seokjin, and Soobin feels relief flash through him when he sees that they’re rather close. He walks around, the strange, chemical scents of the airport making his nose twitch, though Soobin supposes that’s their purpose. 

_ “Soobin Choi?” _ a mechanical, female voice asks. Soobin jumps a bit, surprised by the drone, but he nods slowly.  _ “Follow me,” _ it says. Soobin doesn’t have much trouble doing so, and it isn’t long before he spots Seokjin. There’s another man with him, short but still well-muscled. Soobin feels fear spike through him and his fur puffs when he recognizes the infamous (at least to hybrids) chief of police. He’s known for catching countless hybrids, all of which have disappeared. Soobin is praying to whatever deity’s watching over him that this isn’t a setup. 

“Are you Soobin?” Seokjin says, and Soobin would be grateful for the “familiar” face if not for the man standing nearby. He and Seokjin have met, he’s sure of it, though he can’t be sure. 

“I - uh, yeah, that’s me,” he says. “Um, Mr. Kim?” 

Seokjin smiles and waves his hand. 

“Seokjin or Jin or Jin-Hyung is fine,” he says. He pulls at his coat, which is big and brown and very expensive-looking. “Shall we?”

Soobin follows him, dragging his suitcase along. His ears twitch beneath his hat and he can still smell the chief following them. He speeds up to walk beside Seokjin, looking around nervously. 

“Something wrong?” Seokjin says, looking up at him. Soobin almost jumps and hisses when he sees his eyes; they’re like twin embers, bright like tiny suns. 

“N-no,” Soobin stammers. Seokjin nudges him with his shoulder, looking down at Soobin’s hands. Soobin does the same and then retracts his claws, nearly shaking in place with how scared he is. The punishment for a hybrid pretending to be human anywhere ranges from being sent to a special “camp” to death or excruciating torture. None of them are very fun. 

“Here we are,” Seokjin says, stopping at a sleek black car. Soobin moves to put his bag in the trunk but someone’s already taken it from him. His ears shoot up under his hat while all of his fur and hair puffs, though the water he splashed over it somewhat dampens the effects of his fear. The chief of police - Chief Bang or Mr. Bang or Please-don’t-kill-me-sir - puts Soobin’s bag in the trunk and nods at the hybrid before getting in the front seat of the car. Seokjin seems totally oblivious to everything he’s done and gestures at Soobin to get in. With shaking hands, the panther hybrid presses the button and steps back as the door flies open before nervously climbing in. 

“The windows are tinted, Chan, you can take it off now,” Seokjin says once the door closes. Chief Bang sighs heavily and then he reaches up to his hair and pulls some sort of net off. The moment it’s gone, two gray wolf ears pop up, eagerly moving around. Soobin hisses in surprise and the two men in the front laugh as Chan reaches up and takes out some contacts. His eyes, like Soobin’s, are golden. 

“Ah, nice to meet you, Mr. Choi,” he says, turning around to hold his hand out. He grins, displaying his sharpened teeth, though Soobin is still a bit on edge. His nose twitches as he shakes the wolf’s hand, frowning. 

“What - what are you?” he says suspiciously. “Why are you pretending to be one of the worst hybrid exterminators ever?” 

“Oh, it’s not extermination,” Chan says. “Quite the opposite, actually. I’m Namjoon-Hyung’s other upfront. I go out to catch the strays and make sure they don’t get into any more trouble.” 

“He’s on our side,” Seokjin says, looking at Soobin through the rearview mirror. His eyes are still that unnerving fire-color. “Christopher Chan Bang, age 23, born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to a lab at age three, was taken in by Namjoon and me when we stormed the facility he was in.”

Chan nods, giving Soobin a thumbs-up. 

“And that’s my life story,” he says. “You have any other ‘litter mates’? Maybe you’ll see them!” 

“No, it’s just - just me,” Soobin says. He twiddles his thumbs, sheathing and unsheathing his claws. “I - uh, roadside auction. I was bought.” 

Chan winces sympathetically. 

“Ouch. Minho’s like that. A snow leopard, you ever seen one of those?” 

Soobin shakes his head. The interactions he’s had with other hybrids are limited - there were his parents, but then they were killed so huzzah for those poachers, but he was bought by-

“Jin-Hyung,” Soobin says, sitting straight. He points at the man. “You - you’re the one who bought me at that auction.” 

Seokjin laughs, winking at him. 

“I was wondering if you would recognize me,” he says. “It’s a phoenix, by the way. That’s why my eyes are like this.” 

“He has feathers on his arms too!” Chan says. He pushes back Seokjin’s left jacket sleeve, revealing a myriad of feathers. Their colors range from ruby-red to the same gold as his eyes, all of them glimmering under the sunlight that steals in through the windows. 

“I’m driving, quit it,” Seokjin says, shaking his arm. Chan sits back, and something’s wiggling around behind him. “Your tail, Chan-ah.” 

“Oh, right!” Chan says. He’s very chirpy and he has a strange accent. 

“What - what is that?” Soobin says as Chan slowly pries a sort of net off of his tail. Just like his ears, the fur on top is a brownish-gray while its underside is a cotton white.

“Yoongi made it,” Seokjin says. “Or, well, he came up with the idea, and then Jeongguk developed it. Chan’s wearing an upgraded version of it, though. You’ll get a few when we get home.” 

_ Home. _ The word feels strange on Soobin’s tongue, and it’s not just because English isn’t his first language. Even if he was to say it in Korean, he’s not sure how it’d feel. He’s never exactly had a “home” since the idea has always been rather foreign to him. Ever since his parents were killed and he was bought at the auction, he’s been passed around a series of foster homes. Seokjin and Namjoon could only watch him for so long since they already had a bunch of orphans on their hands, so Soobin was given to his first foster family. To the public, he was their house pet, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world to act like an absolute idiot. Humiliating? Yes, of course. The worst thing he’s ever been put through? Eh, no, not really. 

“Um, uh, are there . . . are there a lot of hybrids there?” Soobin says. 

“Mm, no,” Chan says, shaking his head. “Most of us end up living double-lives to help with the rebellion, so it’s we’re never at our fullest. A lot of hybrids tend to pass in and out, depending on where they’re from and what they do.” 

Soobin nods. 

“So . . . I wouldn’t be meeting a bunch of new people?” 

“Not if you didn’t want to, no,” Chan says, shaking his head. “Yeah, most everyone keeps to themselves if you don’t want to be bothered, but no one’s unpleasant. I mean, I don’t think it’d be tolerated by Jin-Hyung if they were.” 

Seokjin snorts, shaking his head as he turns and heads into a garage. 

“I’m not that bad,” he says as he parks the car. He sighs, looking around and then turning to grin brightly at Soobin. “Well, then, let’s show you around.” 

Chan, once again, grabs Soobin’s bag as they walk toward an elevator. The metal doors are so polished that they work as a mirror, and, above it, a small screen sits. The floor numbers appear in a gentle blue, though Soobin’s eyes still hurt if he focuses on them for too long. He’s tempted to remove his contacts but he has a nervous habit of unsheathing his claws, so he’d rather not poke his eye out. 

_ “Initiating-” _

“Yoongi-yah, it’s us,” Seokjin says. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a thin piece of what looks like glass, though the edges glow a soft neon blue. A photo of Seokjin appears along with a bunch of Korean beneath it. The photo is tinted by the same color as the edge while the font is a copy of the shade of blue. Chan lifts his own up and waves it around. 

_ “Oh, hey, he’s grown up a lot,” _ a low, raspy voice says from the speakers.  _ “Wow, he’s tall, damn.” _

“Yoongi-yah, you’re scaring him,” Seokjin says as they get into the elevator. He presses his ID against a little square and the lights dim to a reasonable color that doesn’t hurt Soobin’s eyes. Chan’s shoulders lose some of their tension and he shifts around, folding his hands in front of him. 

_ “So, kid,” _ Yoongi (or so Soobin thinks) says from the speakers,  _ “how old are you now? It’s been quite a while since I last saw you. How’ve you been?” _

“I’m - I’m okay,” Soobin stammers. “Uh, I guess it’s . . . nice to be here?” 

Yoongi laughs. 

_ “Ah, well, I’ll get out of your hair for now. You are, after all, on our floor,” _ Yoongi says as the doors open. Soobin’s eyes bug out of his head when he sees the place. The lobby has a sleek front desk with two large TVs behind it, both of them showing images of carnage. There’s a sign with the word ‘restaurants’ on it, pointing to the left, while another, pointing to the right, says ‘bathrooms’. A large staircase stands behind the front desks with elevators on either side, and plush couches are scattered around the room. There’s a scratching post and Soobin can see several dog toys, some of which are near three large, white, oval-like contraptions. He thinks they’re basking pods, or whatever they’re called, but he knows that they’re for more ectothermic hybrids like snakes and lizards or even a few frogs here and there. Soobin, of course, isn’t an expert on hybrids, since there’s an enormous range of species and it varies how closely related they are to their animal parts. 

“You’ll probably meet everyone at dinner, so don’t worry about introductions,” Seokjin says. He greets the hybrid at the front desk, a pretty golden retriever with a sun-bright smile. “Hoseok, do you have Soobin’s keycard?” 

“Oh, yeah, here,” Hoseok, the golden retriever, says. He pulls out a thin card, one that’s nearly identical to the ones Seokjin and Chan have, and hands it to Soobin. “Try not to lose it. Yoongi-Hyung can track it down, but it’s a pain in the ass. And he gets moody, which means he himself becomes a pain in the ass. But, well, you seem pretty responsible, so I think you’ll be okay.” 

Soobin nods slowly, gently taking the card. His claws clack against it as he slides it into his jacket pocket and follows after Seokjin. 

“There’s the infirmary,” Chan says, gesturing to the room to the side. Its door is made of glass that only opens after Chan presses his card against the little keypad of sorts, poking his head in. “Minho?” he says softly. 

A soft, sleepy head of brown hair lifts up and a young man turns around. His features are dainty and he’s rather handsome - however, his face is painted with grief and exhaustion, his hair and fur matted. His ears and tail are both white with black markings, and Soobin assumes that this is the snow leopard. 

“Can we come in?” Seokjin says gently. Minho gets up slowly but Soobin can see that he’s well-muscled. His claws unsheathe and he pads over to Soobin, ears and tail twitching curiously. He looks up at Soobin and tilts his head, sniffing. 

“Soobin Choi, right?” he says, ignoring the question. “Black panther, age 19, though you’re turning 20 in December, right?” 

Soobin nods, shifting uncomfortably. Minho hums, turning around and beckoning them inside with a flick of his tail. He goes over to a bed in the far corner and Soobin’s eyes are drawn to the body lying there. Soft, rounded, brown ears peek out from a head of thick black hair, and the hybrid lies peacefully in the bed. Minho places his body between the visitors and the other man, posture stiff. Chan is looking away, his ears pressed against his head. 

“Is - what happened?” Soobin says quietly. 

“Mission gone haywire,” Minho says. He shifts, and the movement draws attention to his left foot, which is made of smooth white machinery. “Jisung really got the short end of the stick.” 

Seokjin hums, reaching out to place a hand on Minho’s shoulder. The snow leopard leans his head against the man’s stomach, some of the tension leaving his shoulders as a soft purr breaks through the awkward silence of the infirmary. 

They leave not long after that, and Soobin finds himself nervously stealing a glance at Chan.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, did . . . is he going to be okay? Jisung, that is. And what happened to Minho’s foot?” 

“Minho’s your Hyung,” Seokjin says. “So is Chan.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

Chan shrugs his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pockets and tucking his tail between his legs. 

“Minho had to amputate his foot when he got caught in a trap,” Chan says, “so Yoongi-Hyung made him a prosthetic. Or, well, he designed it and Jeongguk made the thing. But that doesn’t happen too often, so I think you’ll be fine.” They walk in silence for a bit. “As for Jisung, well . . . no one really knows. His brain reacts to us when we talk, we know that much, but there isn’t much else. We’re really just waiting for something to happen by now.” 

“Oh,” Soobin says as they walk up the stairs. 

“Missions don’t usually go haywire,” Seokjin whispers while Chan leads. “Just - just a bit of advice, don’t bring this up to Chan too much, yeah? He really - he blames himself a lot for what happened.” 

“Okay,” Soobin says, nodding. He doesn’t think he’d like to upset Chan or any of the hybrids he’s met today. 

“Here we are,” Chan says, gesturing to the door in front of them. “This is the feline dorm. They’re divided by family, then separated by sex. Some of us have secondary sexes, so that can play a part, but, for the most part, you just sleep where you want and scent your stuff so no one messes with it.” 

Soobin nods, taking his bag from the other hybrid and bowing his head. 

“Thank you,” he says. 

“It’s no problem, really,” Seokjin says. He frowns, then, and looks down at a watch Soobin hadn’t noticed before. It’s rather old-fashioned, though Seokjin doesn’t seem to care much about it. “Ah, but you should get ready quickly. You and Chan here have to go out to meet a possible supplier.” 

“Wait, what?” Soobin says. “When-”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be that hard,” Chan says. “Just change your clothes and maybe take a quick nap since you’re probably jet-lagged. I’ll come in and wake you when it’s time.” 

Soobin nods, though he still finds himself frowning. However, as soon as he’s showered and found himself a bed, he’s passing out. 

~

Chan hasn’t had a good week. First of all, he’s been staying in his apartment and not the shelter (bear with him, as no one’s quite sure what to call it), and the place is far too quiet. He misses the loud yelling from the shelter, though he supposes one can’t always get what they want. 

Chan sighs, closing his eyes. One thing that makes his insomnia worse is the fact that wolves have excellent night vision, and Chan just happened to inherit that trait. His ears jerk with every sound from the always-awake city outside, and Chan releases another heavy sigh as he rolls onto his stomach. His little BluScreen buzzes, then, and Chan finds himself fumbling around to get it. 

_ Lixie just now -  _ _   
_ _ Channie-Hyung, go to sleep, I know you’re awake!! >:( _

Chan snorts a laugh, shaking his head. 

_ You caught me, Lix, and gave yourself away in return. Go to sleep. _

_ You go to sleep! You have to work! _

Chan laughs again, smiling as he sends a sleepy little emoji. Felix sends back several angry-faced ones and Chan can’t help laughing as he rolls onto his back to keep texting Felix. As a cat hybrid, Felix is a bit strange as he’s always had a bit of trouble sleeping if he doesn’t have a cuddle buddy. Of course, since he’s Felix Lee and one of the sweetest people in the world, he doesn’t have any trouble finding someone to take that role. On lonelier nights, he likes to creep into bed with Yoongi and Jimin and squish himself between them so that the sound of their purring is loud enough to wake the entire part of their dorm, since Hyunjin tends to join in too. Beomgyu will join them too, and they have one large bed in the dorm for everyone to pile onto if someone needs it or just wants a lot of people to cuddle with. Minho and Jisung used to have their own room since Jisung somehow managed to get used to Minho’s sleep-screaming, but now Minho sleeps in the infirmary because he wants to be the first one Jisung is greeted by when he wakes up. 

The memory leaves a bitter taste in Chan’s mouth as he rolls back onto his stomach and curls up under the blankets. He turns his little screen off and leaves it on his bedside table, frowning and furrowing his brow. He can still hear Jisung’s screaming, can still see the pain and fear in his eyes as he’d fallen. 

_ God, what the hell did I miss? _ Chan thinks, hiding his face behind his hands. He was so, so sure that he could trust Woojin, and then . . . and then it turns out that he’s abusing Felix and then he betrays them before he can be punished. Felix, because he doesn’t know how to be angry, doesn’t blame Chan at all, having insisted that he couldn’t have known. Chan thinks otherwise, and he knows he isn’t the only one. 

(Minho really isn’t as subtle as he thinks he is. The glares and the tenseness in his posture and puffing of his fur isn’t hidden well enough for Chan to miss. They’ve known each other for years and Chan’s always been good at picking things up and noticing little details - Minho’s bitterness toward him is far from hidden.)

Chan sighs heavily, shifting in bed so he’s looking out the window. The blinds are drawn, keeping his room pitch-black as it helps him sleep better (though he supposes saying it increases his chances of sleeping is a better way to word it), though Chan is kind of beginning to wish they weren’t. In the very least, it’d make things a little less boring. 

_ Go to sleep, _ Chan thinks, shutting his eyes and rolling away from the window.  _ Go to sleep, Chan. You have to help Jin-Hyung pick up Soobin and then you have to go meet the prospective supplier, and I can’t mess it up, especially after what happened. _

_ “Channie-Hyung, oh my God, oh my God, Channie-Hyung, it hurts so much, it hurts so much.” _

Chan jerks in place, gasping as he sits up. He covers his ears with his hands and pulls his knees to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut. 

_ It’s just a memory, just a memory, _ he thinks. He shivers, hugging himself and pressing his ears to the top of his head.

_ Just a memory. _

__ Seokjin calls him the next morning to wake him up, saying that he’ll force him to sit out if he looks exhausted. Chan laughs as he hangs up and goes to shower, leaving a trail of clothes behind him. He gets dressed, fighting to get his tail to behave, and then he has to put on the netting. It sticks to his fur and his ears try to flick the thing away, though it doesn’t do anything and they’re soon lowering themselves to press against his skull. His tail is a bit more stubborn, but that too ends up squishing itself to his spine. 

“Hate this stuff,” he mumbles, talking to no one in particular because he lives alone. He heads to his fridge and grabs an energy drink. Hopefully, Seokjin will have brought food.

“Eat all of this right now or we’re not going,” the phoenix says as he sits on Chan’s couch. His shoes are sitting haphazardly near the doorway, the food kept in plastic tupperware containers. Chan eagerly wolfs it down (yes, of course, he intended that pun. Seokjin’s had a big part in raising him) and Seokjin laughs at him as he scrolls through the channels on the screen, warming up the room. It’s nice to be around him. Chan missed him and his cooking. 

“You ready to go?” Seokjin says when he finishes. Chan nods. Seokjin walks to the door and pulls his shoes on, shivering. “Fuckin’ crazy, not going out there with a decent coat.” 

Chan laughs, shrugging as he closes the door and they head to the garage. 

He can’t tell if he sees or smells Soobin first. The man is huge, and his drab attire makes him stand out in the brightly-colored crowd. But the smell of panther is also thick and shocking in Chan’s nose, so much so that he jerks in place a bit. He smells like a jungle and it makes Chan’s skin crawl because that smell doesn’t belong here, no, sir, not in this airport full of hybrid-hating humans. 

“Are you Soobin?” Seokjin says, breaking Chan out of his train of thought. Wow, he’s  _ tall _ . He towers over both Chan and Seokjin, looking down at them. He seems a bit awkward as well, though Chan supposes it’s because the “person” he is is notorious for being one of the most anti-hybrid supporters ever. 

“I - uh, yeah, that’s me,” Soobin says. “Um, Mr. Kim?” 

Seokjin, of course, since he’s Seokjin, smiles warmly and holds his hand out. Soobin looks like he wants to sniff it and Chan tries to persuade him into remembering that he’s a “human” right now. 

Thankfully, Soobin seems to remember, and then they’re on their way. Soobin’s uneasiness is clear as day, though Chan can’t find it in himself to blame him. He’s also on the verge of passing out because he’s so tired, but that’s a problem for another day. 

They drive to the shelter, Chan telling Soobin about the shelter and everything going on. Soobin seems to relax a little more once Chan explains his situation to him, though he keeps his hat on and his contacts in. Chan hasn’t known a lot of panther hybrids in his life, and black panthers are even more rare. They’re extremely coveted in the pet industry, where they’re caught or bred and pumped full of drugs to keep them from even walking in straight lines. It leaves them docile and sleepy, something that has a disgustingly large appeal to a disgustingly large audience. Chan has seen too many hybrids going through rehab because they’ve never known how to function sober, many of them choosing to end their lives instead of going on. Soobin, clearly, hasn’t had that experience, and Chan hopes he never will. 

When they get inside, Hoseok greets them and explains the keycards a bit more to Soobin. Hoseok’s always been especially emotionally-aware of other people, and Chan thinks he can see how exhausted he is. When he walks by, Hoseok reaches up and scratches behind his ears, smiling warmly at him as he goes. It’s the little things, right?

“There’s the infirmary,” Chan says, gesturing to the room. In the far corner, he can see Minho lying with his head on Jisung’s chest. He presses his card against the pad and pokes his head in, a bit wary. Minho’s moods, especially when it comes to the safety of someone he cares about, have always been rather volatile. 

“Minho?” he says. Minho slowly lifts his head and turns around, blinking sleepily. He looks about as bad as Chan feels, and the flare of anger in his eyes only makes it worse.

“May we come in?” Seokjin says, probably to better their chances. He’s always been the peacemaker at the shelter, even with someone as moody as Minho. Chan remembers how Minho had clawed him when they first met, hiding his left leg beneath him. He’d had yet to get a permanent prosthetic then, and had found it to be humiliating to be missing a body part. Seokjin had helped soothe the pain and had later spoken to them both, explaining their situations. 

“-panther, age 19, though you’re turning 20 in December, right?” Minho’s saying, looking up at Soobin and tilting his head curiously. His aggression is well-hidden when it comes to someone who doesn’t know him, but Soobin is also a fellow feline who can probably sense it. Most hybrids can tell each other’s feelings, and these two seem to be no exception.

Soobin must nod because Minho hums in approval before turning around and walking over to Jisung. Chan feels guilt tighten its hold on his heart and he looks away, still not keen on looking at him. He can still feel the ghost sensations of Jisung’s body in his arms and the blood sticking to his clothes, though he can ignore it if he doesn’t think too hard. 

“Is - what happened?” Soobin says quietly, his voice gentle. Minho and Chan refuse to look at each other. 

“Mission gone haywire,” Minho says. There’s a very well-concealed bitterness in his voice, and Chan can feel his anger painting itself on his back. He can’t help thinking that he deserves it. “Jisung really got the short end of the stick.” 

_ What an understatement, _ Chan thinks, stealing a glance at the body in the bed. He can remember when they brought him in. The mission had been simple - Chan would leave his group in and they’d deposit a few bombs, just to give the public a good scare. Woojin, the one human working directly with them, was supposed to be their distraction. Instead, though, he’d called exterminators as the bombs had been detonated, and Jisung had tried to protect Hyunjin from one. Chan only realized Jisung was missing when he did a headcount and saw that they only had eight people. Minho tried to go back inside himself, but Chan, as the leader, had insisted on doing it. When he got back, Jisung’s limp body in his arms, he’d found Woojin pinned to the ground as Minho had clawed and bitten him until his teeth and claws were stained red. With the distraction of Chan, though, Woojin had managed to get away, leaving Minho with Hyunjin and Chan to blame. 

Chan shivers as he remembers, walking slowly toward the dorms for the felines. Most everyone has work elsewhere, so the place is nearly empty, but it’s still better than his apartment. 

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking,” Soobin says, “did . . . is he going to be okay? Jisung, that is. And what happened to Minho’s foot?” 

Chan hears Seokjin tell him the ages as he rolls his shoulders a bit. 

“Minho had to amputate his foot when he got caught in a trap, so Yoongi-Hyung made him a prosthetic,” he explains. “Or, well, he designed it and Jeongguk made the thing. But that doesn’t happen too often, so I think you’ll be fine.” Chan allows silence to fill the space between them, still a bit jumpy about the topic of the failed mission. “As for Jisung, well . . . no one really knows. His brain reacts to us when we talk, we know that much, but there isn’t much else. We’re really just waiting for something to happen by now.”

_ If he dies, it’s my fault. _

“Oh,” is all Soobin says. Chan kind of wants to laugh at that, but he prefers to remain quiet. He can pick up that Seokjin’s saying something, but he tunes it out, instead choosing to continue leading the way to the dorms.

“Here we are,” he says when they arrive. “This is the feline dorm. They’re divided by family, then separated by sex. Some of us have secondary sexes, so that can play a part, but, for the most part, you just sleep where you want and scent your stuff so no one messes with it.” He shrugs a bit, thinking that Soobin will probably figure out the rest on his own. 

“Thank you,” Soobin says as he takes his bag, which was surprisingly light for someone who was moving to a different continent. Then again, Soobin has probably spent his entire life as a foster kid, so it’s not too surprising. 

“It’s no problem, really,” Seokjin says before frowning and looking down at his watch. “Ah, but you should get ready quickly. You and Chan here have to go out to meet a possible supplier.”

“Wait, what?” Soobin says, his eyes widening with surprise. “When?” 

Chan waves his hands. 

“Don’t worry,” he says, “it won’t be that hard. Just change your clothes and maybe take a quick nap. I’ll come and wake you when it’s time.” 

Soobin nods slowly, and Chan waves over his shoulder as he turns to go with Seokjin. He hears the door shut and releases a sigh. 

“Namjoon wants to talk to you,” Seokjin says quietly as they walk. 

“I know. He’s wanted to talk to me ever since the accident.”

Seokjin hums. 

“He doesn’t - he doesn’t think it’s your fault that Jisung got hurt,” he says, probably trying to soothe the wound. “He just . . . he cares about you. He cares about all of you, he even cared a little bit about . . . that guy. You guys are like our kids.” 

“Yeah, yeah, no need to get sappy with me,” Chan says, laughing. “I’m fine, trust me.” Seokjin snorts at that, shaking his head as they walk. 

“How have things been going with the apartment? I’m thinking of dropping in some time to leave you a bunch of food, and don’t try to deny that you haven’t been eating well, I know how you get when you’re stressed,” Seokjin says. He sighs, shaking his head. “You’re just like Joon and Yoongi. None of you eat whenever you get stressed out.” 

“I thought Beomgyu would keep you distracted from trying to force-feed me,” Chan says playfully. Seokjin scowls and huffs. 

“Beomgyu is a cheetah, he weighs less than a human of his size would,” he says. “He still needs to eat more, but we’ve made a lot of progress. You, on the other hand, need to eat more if you wanna keep living alone.” 

“I don’t, though,” Chan says as they get into the elevator. Seokjin snorts. 

“I know, Chan. That’s one of the reasons why I asked you to come to pick Soobin up with me.” They keep walking. “Felix has been worried about you.” 

Chan feels his cheeks go red as he tucks his tail between his legs and lowers his ears from embarrassment. 

“Ugh, stop,” he whines. Seokjin laughs, shaking his head as they go down a large hall to a room with a large metal door. They scan their IDs, fingerprints, and then there’s a final check for their faces before the doors slowly open. 

“Joon-ah, we’re here,” Seokjin says. The room is dimly lit and full of smoke, a large bed placed in the middle. Namjoon sits on a couch in front of a giant TV, watching with a blank expression. His wings, huge and covered in sapphire-colored scales, glitter under the room’s lights, small golden chains decorating them. His horns have gold bands around them and his tail lies draped over his legs. 

“Jinnie,” Namjoon says, turning around with a soft smile on his face. He spots Chan and his smile doesn’t waver, though Chan still feels tense. Namjoon beckons him over and adjusts the lights, huffing and slowly adjusting himself. 

“Hey, Hyung,” Chan says, looking at his feet. Namjoon hums, patting his hand.

“How was he?” he says. 

“He seems like he’ll enjoy it here, a bit tense, though,” Seokjin says as he drops his jacket and cuddles up against his husband. Namjoon hums, looking around curiously until he finds a little box. He pulls a cigarette out and offers one to both Seokjin and Chan, though both of them shake their heads. Namjoon, as the only one who can breathe fire, doesn’t have any use for matches as a small spark escapes from between his lips and lands on the tip of the cigarette. 

“Mmm, good,” he says, exhaling slowly. He sighs, sitting up. “Minho has yet to leave the infirmary?” 

“He comes out to eat, but only at night,” Seokjin murmurs, his eyelids growing droopy. Namjoon nods. 

“Well that’s good that he’s eating, right?” he says. Seokjin hums, resting his head on his husband’s shoulder. Chan remains silent. 

“You asked for Chan,” Seokjin says gently, nudging Namjoon. It must be one of the days when he sinks further into his dragon headspace, meaning he gets a bit spacey and sleepy. It’s from spending years at a lab where he was thoroughly dehumanized, though Namjoon tends to be pretty high-alert. Sometimes, though, there are days when Seokjin can’t leave him alone or else Namjoon will go into a mindless fury, though they’ve grown less frequent with the help of a medication that Taehyung and Jimin worked hard to develop. 

“Oh, yes, Chan,” Namjoon says, nodding. He smiles at the wolf hybrid. “You’re meeting our supplier today, yes?” 

Chan nods and Namjoon hums, reaching over and gesturing for him to come closer. Instinctively, the younger hybrid lowers his head and Namjoon begins to scratch behind his ears. His nails are sharp but Namjoon knows how to be careful with them, and it’s always pleasant to get ear scratches from him. 

“He seems like he’s pretty willing,” Namjoon murmurs, mostly to himself. “The information’s on my desk in a little pill. Just break it open, though I’m sure you know how it works, right?” 

Chan hums, nodding his head. “Yeah, Hyung.” 

“Mm. Well, you’ll be meeting at eight, and we’ll be expecting you home for dinner. He knows what was asked of him, don’t worry. It’ll say in the pill.” 

Chan nods again, lowering his ear as Namjoon pets his hair. 

“Thanks, Hyung,” he says, already beginning to feel drowsy. When he was first introduced to the shelter, he spent a lot of time in this room, curled up on the couch and sleeping or reading some sort of book. Namjoon had taught him, along with many other hybrids, how to read and write, and Chan spent a lot of time practicing in here. 

“Oh, and Chan?” Namjoon says as the wolf hybrid slowly gets up. Chan turns around, tilting his head curiously. “Don’t blame yourself for what happened, okay?” 

Chan tries to smile. 

“Okay, Hyung,” he says. He waves at them. “I’ll see you guys at dinner.” 

Felix finds him sitting in the breakroom, scrolling through his BluScreen. The cat hybrid shrieks happily and Chan’s head jerks up just as he throws himself at the wolf. 

“Hyung!” Felix cries, purring and rubbing his head against Chan’s chin and neck and chest and face. “Oh, Hyung, I missed you, mmm, now you’re back.” He keeps purring, buzzing happily in Chan’s arms. Felix has always been a cuddle bug, and the fact that he’s a purebred ragdoll cat only helps. His fur is soft, white, and very fluffy, and Chan just can’t resist. He always smells like flowers and baked goods, something that only sweetens the deal. 

“Hey, Lixie,” Chan says, running his fingers through Felix’s hair. The cat hybrid hums, having buried his face in his chest. Despite the fact that they’re the same height, Chan can’t help feeling like Felix is just the tiniest little thing, so small and precious and he has to take care of him or else. Then again, a lot of cat hybrids tend to be daintier, though Chan’s certainly met a few very buff cat hybrids. Jimin and Yoongi are good examples of that, what with how Yoongi did judo and had to get new clothes, and Jimin is covered in lean, sinewy muscle that’s far from cute, especially when he’s roughhousing. Felix has plenty of muscle too, though he’s still pretty tiny to Chan. 

“You’re staying the night, aren’t you?” Felix murmurs, still rubbing himself all over the older hybrid. “I miss cuddling with you. And you always text me for so long before bed, then we can’t even snuggle.” 

“Lix, everyone loves it when you snuggle with them, it can’t be that hard to find someone. Hyunjin is always ready to cuddle.” 

“Yeah, but lately Jin’s been sleeping with Jeogninnie, and I can  _ hear _ them, so I’d rather not,” Felix says, sticking his tongue out. Chan laughs and he’s tempted to kiss his nose, though he forces himself not to. While Felix is extremely cuddly and affectionate, Chan isn’t and he’d also feel like he was taking advantage of Felix’s choice to be physically close to him. 

“What about Mini Mini-Hyungs?” 

Felix hums, shaking his head. 

“Seungmin?” 

“He and Changbinnie-Hyung were half-naked last time I went in.” 

“Beomgyu?” 

“Beomgyu talks too much and he gets up a lot.” 

“Yeonjun? Huening? Hoseok-Hyung? Jeongguk? Taehyung-Hyung? Jin and Joon-Hyungs?” 

“Nooooo,” Felix says. “I wanna cuddle with  _ you _ . I like your scent best.” As if to prove his point, Felix presses his face into the crook of Chan’s neck and sucks in a deep breath, his tail shooting straight out as his fur puffs. When he pulls away, he doesn’t seem to notice Chan’s beet-red face as he giggles adorably. 

“Yeah, well, Soobin and I have to go soon to meet a client,” he protests weakly. Felix’s face lights up. 

“Ooh, what’s he like? Someone told me he was really tall, I think it was Yoongi-Hyung. He seems really nice, though!” he chirps. 

“Yeah, he’s nice,” Chan says. He scratches the back of Felix’s head, guilt flashing through him when the cat hybrid winces a bit as his fingers graze over his spine. “I think you’ll like him.” 

“Mmm, good,” Felix says, his eyes drooping. He sighs and lets his head fall against Chan’s shoulder. “I missed you, Hyungie.” 

“Missed you too, Lixie,” Chan says. He feels his BluScreen buzz in his pocket and his hands fall to his sides as he tilts his head back and groans. “Fuck, why now?” 

“You have to go?” Felix says softly. Chan hums and nods, helping the hybrid out of his lap before getting to his feet and stretching. 

“Yeah, sorry,” he says. Felix pouts up at him before sighing and standing, rubbing his eyes. 

“S’okay,” he says. He smiles gently. “I’ll see you at dinner?” 

Chan’s heart is thundering in his chest and he tries to tell it to stop. 

“Yeah,” he says. “See you at dinner.

~

Hongjoong wakes up and he’s certain that he’s about to freeze to death. Even though he’s wearing his biggest sweater and sweatpants and his tail is wound tightly around his torso, he’s still shivering like there’s no tomorrow. Hongjoong sniffles and presses himself further into the mattress, scowling and trying to get a little warmer

And then, of course, he remembers that he has his first day of work and that one of the first things he was told was that he should be as early as possible. Hence the reason why he’s up at the asscrack of dawn. 

Hongjoong groans and drags himself out of bed, tugging on his tail to try and wake himself up a little more. He shivers and hugs himself in the shower, mewling quietly like a kitten in the rain, before he gets dressed. He washes his face and puts on some makeup so he doesn’t look like he just woke up, as he’s heard that his boss-to-be is very particular about his employees dressing as best as they can. His tail sways behind him as he curls his hair, putting in some earrings before heading out to eat a quick breakfast of one healthy, nutritious cup of coffee. 

He shivers as he gets into his car, nose and ears twitching as he puts his seatbelt on. He’ll have to drive down to the train station to get to work, but, oh,  _ fuck _ , it’s early. Cat hybrids are not, according to Hongjoong, a cat hybrid, meant to get up at the asscrack of dawn. He just wants to go and take a nap in the sun, maybe eat a bit and read a book. He does not, however, want to be driving around, but, well, he needs a job and this is also something he’s wanted for years. So, he’d better get a move on. 

It’s a bit scary to ride the train. Hongjoong presses himself into the corner of the car, ears lowered as he stares at his feet and prays that no one harasses him and that it’s too early to yell obscenities at the little cat hybrid tucked into the corner of the train car. His bag is hugged against his chest and he can feel his inhaler in his pocket, a familiar and comforting weight. Whenever someone gets too close, Hongjoong always finds his hand wandering toward it, though it’s not nearly as useful as something like a little taser. 

His train ride is uneventful except for a few whistles sent his way, but Hongjoong can put up with that. He walks quickly through the crowded streets of New York, trying to stay out of people’s ways. It’s quite cold but Hongjoong knows better than to seek out any warmth in the giant buildings around him. He instead walks toward his destination, trying to ignore when people pass their hands over his body or run their fingers through his fur. 

The building he’s looking for is easy to pinpoint, especially since the name of the brand it hosts,  _ VIPER, _ is sitting on the rooftop. It’s also written on the gates in front of the place and Hongjoong flashes his new ID card, jerking when it shocks him once he reveals that he’s a hybrid. As he’s going in, he notices a large black car. Reporters chase after it and Hongjoong feels fear fill him as he guesses that his boss is in that car. He can’t see anything through the tinted windows, though Hongjoong doubts that his superior can go  _ anywhere _ without being mobbed. He scrambles toward the doors of the building, heart pounding in his chest.

“You’re here!” a young woman cries when he appears. Her nose curls when she takes in his cat ears and tail, though, with all of the makeup she’s wearing, it could just be the way her face looks. Hongjoong bows his head and nods quickly, shivering. The woman, however, snatches his coat and bag away from him, handing him a tablet and some papers. 

“Take these, you’re already late,” she says. “He’s in a bad mood, so try not to get fired on your first day here.” 

Hongjoong nods again, just as the chauffeur gets out. The reporters and paparazzi clamor over one another in attempts to snap a photo of the passenger as the door opens. And here he comes. 

[ _ Therefore I Am _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDn4eKyhSH4)

To sum it up, Seonghwa Park is notorious for two things: his gorgeous fashion designs that Hongjoong has been inspired by plenty of times and, of course, being an absolute bitch. He’s known for how cruel and quick to criticize everything that isn’t his own work, and Hongjoong is absolutely terrified of the man. He’s wearing a pair of giant black sunglasses and a fancy blouse with diamondback rattlesnake patterns on it. His pants are a shade darker than cream while his shoes - giant, platform stiletto boots - have the same pattern as his blouse. As per usual, a cigarette is held between his lips and his black hair is styled so half of it is combed over his forehead. He gets out and towers over the crowd, scowling as he walks inside. 

“Go!” the woman who met him says, shoving Hongjoong after Seonghwa. The cat hybrid runs and tries to keep up, though he’s rather small and has asthma and Seonghwa is rather long-legged and he’s trying to get away from the mob chasing after him. 

“What on earth is this?” the man cries. He pushes his sunglasses up. “My God, who the hell did this?” 

Hongjoong manages to catch up and he hands him a paper. Seonghwa scowls at it and tears it to pieces after skimming through. 

“Whoever did that is fired,” he snaps and Hongjoong nods as he finds the two people responsible for whatever made Seonghwa so angry and deletes them from the screen of the tablet. Seonghwa’s heels make loud clicking sounds as he walks, moving easily and with purpose. 

“Mr. Park, we’d like to ask-”

“Get out of my sight,” Seonghwa hisses. “I don’t give a shit. There, that’s my answer. You’ll see when it comes out.” the designer doesn’t wait around for a response as he continues walking, stopping at little workspaces to make people cry. Something falls from his pocket and Hongjoong is quick to pick it up, sliding the box of cigarettes into his pocket since he’s certain that Seonghwa would murder him if he bothered him. 

“Sir, you have a call from Channel 0129, should I-”

“Hello?” Seonghwa says, tapping on the little piece in his ear. “Yes, now fuck off, I don’t care. It’s none of your business, you can kiss my ass. Bye, bye, sweetie.” 

_ This man is terrifying, _ Hongjoong thinks as he continues to try and stay by Seonghwa’s side. 

“What is this?!” he roars as he stops at a station. The attendee is missing and Seonghwa’s eyes seem to be glowing with how angry he is, artificially-sharpened teeth gnashing together angrily. “Which one of you lazy asses did this?” 

No one steps forward, the building having gone silent. Seonghwa scowls. 

“Well,” he says, “I guess I’ll just have to find out myself.” 

He walks easily to the small desk and picks up a framed picture. 

“Are these your kids?” he says, his voice filled with disgust. “You’re this stupid yet you still had the courage to reproduce a bunch of rats!” 

“Sir-” someone says and Seonghwa whips his head around, glaring. 

“What?” he demands. “Do you want to step up? For this waste of good fabric? Come out here, you little bitch.” 

No one steps out, but Hongjoong hears a few pictures being taken. He spots a nametag, then, and fearfully picks it up and presents it to Seonghwa. The man snatches it out of his hand and raises it to his eyes, lifting his head with a dangerously blank expression. 

“Ah, Cathleen,” he says. “Darling, come on out, won’t you? I know it was you, don’t think you can get away from me now. Come along, now.” 

Slowly, a small woman makes her way into view. Seonghwa arches an eyebrow. 

“Fired,” he says and the woman looks seconds away from bursting into tears. Seonghwa doesn’t bother as he turns around and continues to leave people devastated after crushing all of their dreams. 

Just then, someone pushes their way through the crowd. It’s a young man, blond with giant glasses and a smattering of freckles. 

“Mr. Park!” he cries, his eyes lighting up so they’re much like the brightly-colored ensemble he’s donned. Seonghwa’s lip curls as he shakes his head, hands patting his pockets. 

“Don’t call me that,” he snaps. He takes his cigarette out and taps it onto the man’s papers; he looks like he’s going to pass out from how happy he is to have the ashes of Seonghwa’s cigarette on his work. “We’re not friends.” 

“Oh, yes, of course, sir,” the man says. “Don’t worry, I know, yes, but here, I wanted you-”

“Give them to my assistant,” Seonghwa says, pointing in the direction of Hongjoong. Or, well, roughly, but it’s enough for the blond to shove a screen in the cat hybrid’s face. Hongjoong stumbles a bit, surprised, before leaning forward and skimming it. 

“You - you might wanna check this,” he says quietly. “It - this measurement is written weirdly and the units change a bit too much. The - and some of these fabrics might not - might not stick together too well.” 

Everyone stops and Hongjoong lowers his ears while lifting his tablet to use as a shield. 

“Let me see it,” a voice speaks. The man seems to have turned beet red and Hongjoong can smell his fury as he hands the screen to Seonghwa. 

“Redo it,” Seonghwa says. “He’s right, this is awful, redo it. All of it, I don’t like it at all. What were you even  _ thinking? _ ” He laughs, breathless, before tossing the tablet over his shoulder and continuing to walk. Hongjoong scrambles after him, yelping when his tail is tugged. He holds it in his hand and turns to the man who glares at Hongjoong as if he’s something scraped off of the bottom of his shoe. Hongjoong scampers away before he can say anything. 

He doesn’t know how long they walk, but, by the time they get to the stairs, Hongjoong is out of breath and Seonghwa is looking for a cigarette. 

“Goddammit, where the hell are they? I know I had them-”

“Here, sir,” Hongjoong says, reaching into his pocket and holding up the box. “You dropped them and I - I didn't want to interrupt you.” 

Seonghwa stares down his nose at the box, arching an eyebrow. 

“Interesting,” he says. He grabs a cigarette, offering it to Hongjoong, who shakes his head. His ears flick at the gasps that fill the air as Seonghwa huffs a little laugh and pulls out a lighter, cupping his hand around the cigarette. 

“What did you say your name was?” he says, pulling the thing out of his mouth to exhale a plume of smoke into the air. Hongjoong, instinctively, reaches for his inhaler, but he forces himself to remain still. Also, he’s so scared of the man in front of him that he doesn’t think he can do anything that isn’t instinctive, so he remains dead silent while quivering in place. Seonghwa frowns at him and leans down, so close that Hongjoong can smell the smoke on him as it mixes with the scent of his cologne. He smells like rich people do, meaning there’s cigarettes, wine, and fancy cologne/perfume that fills Hongjoong’s nose. 

“I don’t like repeating myself,” Seonghwa says slowly. “What’s your name, kitty?” 

Hongjoong swallows the lump in his throat. 

“H-Hongjoong, s-sir,” he stammers. “Kim. Hongjoong Kim.” 

Seonghwa hums, nodding. 

“You’re Korean?” he says. Hongjoong nods, still hiding behind his tablet. “Mm, me too. You speak it?” 

“My - I came here a few years ago, so yes.” 

“ _ Well, then you’ll be a good load of help,” _ Seonghwa says, switching into the language. He nods, patting Hongjoong on the head. “Come along, kitty.” 

Hongjoong’s day after that mostly consists of checking Seonghwa’s schedule and grabbing him cigarettes or refilling his drinks. Whether it’s red wine or something like tea or water, Seonghwa expects Hongjoong to do it. He also smokes endlessly, and Hongjoong has to leave to take several breathers. His insurance plan, at least, covers his inhalers, so he shouldn’t have to worry too much about that. 

“I’m leaving early today,” Seonghwa says, getting up out of his chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, make sure to clean up the office.” And then, with that, Seonghwa’s grabbing his jacket and leaving the office.

What a strange first meeting.


	2. Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soobin goes on his first mission, Chan struggles with his guilt, and Hongjoong faces a new challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnnnnnnngsan'spinkhairandrapperseonghwa

Chan wakes him up after a few sweet hours of rest. Soobin rises slowly, rubbing his eyes before grabbing a sweatshirt and jeans. 

“Here,” Chan says, handing him a little pack. Soobin uses his claws to cut it open and frowns at the material that gets stuck on his fingers, tilting his head. 

“You need some help there?” a new voice says. Chan and Soobin both look up to see a handsome fox hybrid leaning against the doorframe, his long pink hair tied back in a ponytail. His nose twitches as he makes his way over to Soobin, grinning slyly as he helps disentangle Soobin’s hands. 

“Here we go,” he says, putting it over Soobin’s ears. There’s a small tingling feeling and Soobin frowns, ears twitching, but they eventually go flat against his head. The fox hybrid is already getting out a net and trying to fit onto Soobin’s tail, but the panther shakes his head. 

“No, it’s okay, but thank you,” he says. The fox frowns, tilting his head. 

“Then what are you going to do?” he says, ears flopping a bit. 

Soobin shyly lifts his shirt and lets his tail wrap around his waist, letting the sweatshirt fall the moment he feels the fur on his skin. His cheeks are red as he looks away, shifting in place. 

“I - uh - should I go?” Chan says. 

“Nope, nope, it’s fine,” the fox hybrid says, waving his hands. “I’ll see you guys at dinner, bye, have fun and don’t get into trouble, thank you, okay, I’m leaving now.” And with that he leaves the room, fluffy tail trailing behind him. 

“Who was that?” Soobin says as they head upstairs. Chan laughs, adjusting the mask over the lower half of his face. 

“That was Yeonjun,” he says. “He’s been here for a pretty long time. I think he was one of the first people here, after the originals.” 

“Originals?” Soobin asks as they walk toward a car. Chan shrugs. 

“Namjoon-Hyung, Jin-Hyung, Yoongi-Hyung, Hoseok-Hyung, Jimin-Hyung, Taehyung-Hyung, and Jeongguk,” he says. “They’re the ‘originals’ because they’re the first ones Namjoon met and they’ve kind of started the entire uproar. Most of them - except for Yoongi-Hyung since he doesn’t go on missions too often nowadays - are out right now.” 

“Why doesn’t he go out?” Soobin says as the car starts. 

“He’s blind in his right eye,” Chan says. “But that’s from something that happened years and years ago, so he’s pretty used to it, though it’s still pretty dangerous in the midst of battle. He’s also our tech or hacker guy, so it’s important that he can make sure everything’s going according to plan.” That seems to make him wince a bit and Soobin looks over. Chan seems to be a little more relaxed compared to when he picked Soobin up, but there’s still a sort of tension in his shoulders, though this seems like something that he’s used to. 

“Hyung,” he says, quietly, “whatever happened, it’s not your fault.” 

Chan snorts. 

“Thanks,” he says. He sighs, shaking his head. “It - but you don’t know the story.” He sighs, tightening his grip on the wheel. “He - I - I wasn’t careful enough, and then everything went wrong. I should’ve - I should’ve watched. I should’ve-”

“Well, there’s no use worrying about things like that now, right?” Soobin says quietly, shrugging. “I mean, sure, maybe there’s stuff you could’ve done better in the past or things you wish you hadn’t done, but it’s not like you can go back in time to change it. Shouldn’t you just focus on the present?” 

Chan looks over at him, tilting his head curiously. 

“Huh,” he says, tonguing the inside of his cheek and nodding as he turns back to the street in front of them. “Huh, you have a good point.” 

Soobin shrugs. 

“Thanks,” he says. He looks at the little BluScreen displaying a map and their location plus where the meeting is supposed to take place. “How long have you been with them?”

“Uh . . . this is my ninth year. I had to, like, ‘train’, I guess, for seven years. I don’t know, it was seven years before I went on my first mission.” 

“Huh,” Soobin says. He frowns, tilting his head. “What about Jeongguk-Hyung? Aren’t you guys the same age?” 

“I actually was in a different facility before,” Chan says as he turns. He shrugs. “Bounced around a bit, just like Yeonjun.” 

“How long did he train or whatever?” 

Chan shrugs. 

“Dunno,” he says. “You’ll have to ask him. He did it for a long time, though. He gets to go out on missions now, just not big ones. Namjoon-Hyung likes to organize us into groups, and he thinks . . . I dunno, he could be drunk when he does it because it doesn’t always make sense, but, well, he’s smart enough that none of us question it.” 

Soobin hums. 

“What’s he like?” he says. “Namjoon, that is. What’s he like?” 

“A dad,” Chan says immediately. “He’s like everyone’s dad, more or less. He and Jin-Hyung are like the parents most of us never had.” 

“Do you miss your parents?” 

“Do you?” Chan says as he stops the car in front of an alley. A figure is leaning against the wall, fedora pulled over their eyes. 

“Here, you can stay in the car if you’d like,” Chan says. Soobin shakes his head. 

“No, it’s fine,” he says. He opens the door slowly, scowling at the smell. Even through the mask covering his face, the thick chemical stench of the slums breaks through. 

“Excuse me?” Chan says. “What are you doing here?” 

The person looks up, and their eyes make Soobin’s fur stand up. They’re definitely a hybrid, but he has yet to determine what type. However, whatever they are, Soobin wants to get away from them.

“Excuse me?” Chan says again. The hybrid reaches into the pocket of their trench coat and pulls something out. 

Chan looks down, then back up at the hybrid. They tilt their head curiously, blinking once. From what Soobin can see, despite how unsettling their eyes are, they’re an attractive person. But, then again, he can only see the upper half of their face. 

There’s a grunt, and Soobin looks down to see the hybrid holding out a little broken-open information pill. Chan nods and holds out his own. The hybrid holds out the first thing they showed them, grunting again. 

“It’s money,” Chan says. The hybrid huffs, annoyed, tapping their toe on the ground. 

“Thank you?” Soobin tries. The hybrid snorts a laugh before walking away, waving over their shoulder before sliding their hands into their pockets and disappearing. 

“That was weird as hell,” Chan says as they get into the car. He pulls out the information pill and frowns. “I dunno, he doesn’t really match the description, but he was definitely a hybrid.” 

“How much did he give?” 

Chan pulls out what the hybrid gave them, and his eyes bulge out of his head. 

“This is in dollars!” he says to Soobin. It’s a money clip. The green bills are things Soobin’s only ever seen through a screen, and never would have thought he’d be close enough to touch it. Most everyone uses the international currency, agutos, and dollars are only for the super, super rich. They’re so rare that it’s considered lucky if you can even  _ smell _ one. 

“Holy shit,” Soobin says. Chan has freed the bills and is shakily counting them, though Soobin can see enough zeroes to know that it’s a whole lot. 

“Fuck, that’s . . . that’s a thousand bucks,” Chan says, sitting back and staring at the money. “How much would that be in agutos?” 

“A lot,” Soobin says. Chan looks over at him before shrugging and nodding a bit. 

“Well, you’re not wrong,” he says. He shakes his head. “How loaded do you have to be to get this kinda cash, though?” 

“Who even knows?” Soobin says. “All I can see is that this is a whole lot of money and that Namjoon-Hyung has friends in high places.” 

Chan laughs as he starts the car. 

“You could say that I suppose,” he says, beginning to drive. Soobin hums and turns to look out the window, leaning his head against the glass. 

“How many people do you think are going to be at dinner?” he says. Chan hums, shrugging. 

“Dunno. It depends on how many people can show up tonight,” he says. “Usually, if everyone’s home, then there are . . .” he trails off, frowning as he counts on his fingers, “uh, there should be about eighteen of us. Plus you would make twenty, though Minho doesn’t eat during the day. And, I mean, you don’t have to come out if you don’t want to. It’s really just where you can go to meet everyone and stuff.” 

“Oh,” Soobin says. He shifts in his seat so he’s sitting on his hands. “Uh, who else lives there? Like, other than the people I’ve already met.” 

“Well, there’s Jeongguk,” Chan says. “He’s a rabbit hybrid, but he also made ‘muscle bunny’ into a literal term, so don’t mess with him. He’s dating a tiger hybrid - don’t worry, he’s not nearly as vicious as you’d think - and that’s Taehyung-Hyung. Hyung’s ‘twin’ is Jimin-Hyung, a calico. Twin because they’re the same age and they were both kind of taken in at the same time. You met Yoongi, kind of, just make sure he knows if you’re approaching from his blind side. Uh, you’ve met Jin-Hyung and Joon-Hyung and me . . . oh, yeah, and Yeonjun. And Hoseok-Hyung. Oh, yeah, we have one reptile hybrid and that’s Hueningkai, though most of us call him Huening. He’s the youngest. Gaboon viper, longest fangs in the world. His are a bit bigger than the actual snake’s and I’m sure he’d be happy to show you once you two’ve gotten closer since he’s pretty shy. Hoseok-Hyung will probably help him get used to you since those two are hardly ever not together.” Chan frowns, furrowing his brow. 

“The rest of you are mammals?” 

“Well, yeah, ‘cept for Huening, Joon-Hyung, and Jin-Hyung,” Chan says. He shrugs. “I guess we have two reptiles.” 

“What . . . what is Namjoon?” Soobin says. He frowns. “I just - I can’t remember a lot.” 

“That tends to happen pretty often,” Chan says. “Things tend to disappear as you get older. It’s a symptom of childhood trauma, so not a lot of us can always remember what happened. Which is helpful, I guess, depending on what your personality is. He’s a dragon, by the way. And, like, the fantasy kinda thing, the way Jin-Hyung’s a phoenix.” 

“Do you remember?” Soobin says, eying Chan carefully. The wolf hybrid shrugs. 

“Bits and pieces here and there,” he says. “I still get nauseous in hospitals or if I see too much white, but I’m not as bad as some of us. Beomgyu can’t be cooped up for too long, so he tends to do laps throughout the building or we’ll drive out to a park and he’ll run.” 

“Oh,” Soobin says. “What type of hybrid is Beomgyu?”

“Cheetah,” Chan says. “You’ll meet him in the dorm later. There’s also Hyunjin, another cat who’s super nice but he’s quite the insomniac so don’t be scared if you see anyone wandering around at night. Then again, a few of us are more nocturnal than others, so it might not even bother you in the first place. Seungmin is our other golden retriever and Changbin is a mutt, some mastiff pittie mix. Lots of muscles, hardly any height, and you’ve already met Yeonjun, one of the foxes. Jeongin’s the other one, very cute.” He smiles softly. “And then there’s Felix.” 

“Felix?” 

Chan hums, nodding. Seems like this Felix has garnered his affection. “Yeah, him. Felix is a sweetheart, trust me. No one dislikes Felix, it’s impossible. Literally the nicest person in the world.” 

Soobin snorts. 

“No, really, I mean it,” Chan says, turning to look at him. “Felix - he’s just his own type of person. He’s another cat hybrid, a Siamese, and he’s a  _ huge _ cuddle bug. He’ll cuddle with anyone, really, and he likes to bake, so make sure to look out for some brownies or cookies or something in your space tonight. Chances are, he probably left you a few to welcome you.” 

“He sounds really nice,” Soobin says. Chan nods, still smiling. 

“Yeah, he is,” he says. 

“Are you guys together?”

Chan’s grip on the wheel tightens and Soobin’s nose crinkles a bit. 

“Felix . . . Felix is . . . it’s complicated,” he says. Soobin nods, deciding to drop it. 

“Here we are,” Chan says. He stops the car and gets out, pocketing the money. They walk in and flash their IDs at the censor, heading into the elevator. 

_ “How was it?”  _ Yoongi says. 

“They were kind of weird and it was a bit creepy, to be honest,” Chan says. “Soobin, did you see their eyes? Holy shit, that was unpleasant.” 

_ “What was wrong with their eyes?” _

“Just . . . they were weird,” Chan says, hugging himself. “You’d have to see it to understand.” 

“They’re pretty indescribable,” Soobin says. Yoongi hums through the speakers.

_ “Well then, can one of you take the info to Namjoon? I’ll see you at dinner.” _

“Info?” Soobin says. “Uh, unless it’s some sort of code or whatever, that’s definitely money.” 

“I’ll ask Hyung about it, don’t worry,” Chan says, waving his hand. “Just head to dinner or whatever, I’ll see you there.” 

Soobin nods as the elevator doors open and they both step out. 

“The mess hall is where the restaurants are,” Chan says, gesturing to the sign as he turns and walks off. “Save me a seat, yeah?” 

Soobin nods, watching as he goes. Chan pulls off his netting but his ears keep themselves pressed against his head, his tail still. Soobin reaches up to his head and tugs the material off, his tail unraveling  from its place around his torso. He tucks the netting into his pocket and then heads toward the mess hall, scratching the back of his neck with his claws. 

He’s walking in the direction Chan told him to go when a small cat hybrid steps out from a room. His fur is a pale brown and he walks a bit slowly, and Soobin wonders if it’s Felix. 

“Um, excuse me?” he says, tapping on his right shoulder. The hybrid’s ears jerk and his tail straightens as he turns around to hiss at Soobin. The panther jumps back from surprise, staring at the angry cat. His right eye is white while his left eye is full of fear as it locks onto Soobin. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry! I thought you were someone else!” Soobin says. Yoongi straightens and pushes his fur down, shrugging. 

“It’s, uh, it’s fine,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, you didn’t know. I doubt you had bad intentions.” 

Soobin nods, shuffling his feet. Yoongi is tiny, really, and he feels a bit like he has to protect him. He’s well-muscled, though, enough that Soobin’s worries are somewhat soothed, though he still feels like the cat hybrid before him needs to be sheltered. 

“So, how’d you like it so far?” Yoongi says as they walk. Soobin shrugs. 

“It’s a lot better than foster homes,” he says. Yoongi snorts. 

“Yes, I’d hope that’d be true,” he says. His ears twitch and he crinkles his nose. “Oh, can you smell them? Who have you met?” 

Soobin sniffs, the scent of several other hybrids filling his nose. It’s weird but, at the same time, he likes it. It smells . . . nice. Comforting, like the hybrids in the mess hall are warm and inviting. He can hear them, too. There’s a lot of laughter. 

“Well, Chan-Hyung, you, Jin-Hyung, Joon-Hyung, Minho-Hyung, and Yeonjun. Oh, and Hoseok-Hyung.” Soobin shrugs. “That’s it so far.” 

Yoongi hums, nodding. 

“Well, I think you’ll find them all to be an amiable crowd,” he says. They swipe their IDs over the pad and the glass doors to the mess hall open. 

It feels like he’s stepped into a new world. The hybrids sitting at the large table in the center of the room are laughing and yelling as they clamber over one another, calling out to those farther from their seats. Soobin spots Yeonjun sitting next to a boy with pretty patterned scales by his eyes and going from his elbow to his hands. Hueningkai looks far from shy as he shrieks loudly, displaying his pointed teeth and forked tongue. Hoseok sits beside him, blond tail wagging as he joins in with creating the pandemonium that fills the room. The other golden retriever is laughing happily, squished next to a much smaller dog hybrid. Seungmin and Changbin don’t make it obvious, but Soobin can tell that they’re a couple from the subtle touches and the way they seem to be especially close to each other. They look a bit strange, but it seems natural. They’re cute together. The cheetah hybrid - Beomgyu, Chan said his name was - is talking loudly with the fox that isn’t Yeonjun along with a cat hybrid that has long blond hair. Nearby, Taehyung, the tiger, is cuddled up to his boyfriend, whose giant ears lie flat against his head as he chats loudly with the rest of the table. There are two other hybrids, both cats, and one of them stands up.

“Gi!” he cries and Yoongi rushes toward Jimin, throwing himself at the other hybrid. They sit together and Yoongi clambers into Jimin’s lap, pressing himself close to him. Of course, since Yoongi was standing next to Soobin, everyone’s noticed the panther hybrid. 

It’s as if a switch is flipped because the moment they all see him, they’re all rushing to meet him first. Soobin scrambles back, baring his teeth instinctively as his claws shoot out. The growl builds in his throat as he narrows his eyes, promising any injury to anyone who dares get too close. 

“Hey, everyone, back it up,” Yoongi says, waving his hands as he parts the crowd. “Give ‘im some space, you’re making it hard to breathe.” 

“I’m sorry about them,” the cat hybrid leans forward to whisper. “They’re not used to new people.” 

Soobin nods, allowing his claws to retract as his shoulders slowly slump. He walks warily toward the table and sits down near Yoongi, eying the hybrids before him. 

“I’m Felix,” a blond cat hybrid says, his voice carrying the same accent that Chan’s does, though it’s a bit thicker. His ears are soft and white, his eyes big and brown and full of warmth. Soobin can see why Chan likes him so much. “You’re Soobin, right?” 

“Yeah,” Soobin says. “Hi.” 

Felix smiles at him then he turns to talk to the other blond cat hybrid, who Soobin is assuming is Hyunjin. They all seem to have forgotten Soobin’s little burst of slightly involuntary aggression as they begin to talk, the volume growing louder with each word spoken. Yeonjun, the pretty pink-haired fox hybrid, ends up moving to sit next to him, starting an easy conversation. Soobin finds himself relaxing, albeit slowly, but, once the food comes out, it becomes much easier. Seokjin, he finds, is a spectacular cook. 

“Is, um, sorry, don’t mean to be rude, but, uh, do you know where Channie-Hyung is?” Felix says shyly, nudging Soobin with his hip. 

“He went to give Namjoon something,” Soobin says. Everyone oo’s and ah’s at Felix as the siamese covers his face and presses his ears to his head.

“They’ve both liked each other for  _ forever, _ ” Yeonjun stage-whispers beside him. “It’s become a sort of tradition to tease them both whenever they try to be subtle.” 

“He doesn’t like me!” Felix shrieks. Yeonjun laughs, fluffy tail wagging. 

“Sure, sure,” he says. “Keep on saying that and it might just happen.” 

Chan shows up near the very end of dinner when almost everyone has finished. He takes a seat beside Felix and the cat hybrid not-so-subtly scoots closer to him while Chan eats under the watchful eye of Seokjin. The rest of them slowly leave the table until just Yeonjun, Felix, Chan, Seokjin, and Soobin remain. Seokjin gets out two plates and begins putting food onto them, humming to himself. 

“One plate is for Joon-Hyung since he can’t always get up,” Yeonjun whispers. “None of us really know why, but he doesn’t like talking about the lab. It makes him antsy.” Soobin nods slowly. “The other plate’s for Minho-Hyung. He’ll probably get up sooner or later - most likely around midnight - to come and get something to eat. Hyung always leaves food out for him.” 

“He works a lot,” Soobin notes. Yeonjun shrugs. 

“He can’t stand not doing something most of the time,” Yeonjun says. “He wasn’t allowed to do anything when he was in the lab, so he likes to always do things. Also, he’s a bit stressed out right now because of Minho-Hyung and Jisung.” 

“Oh.” 

Yeonjun nods, and they watch as Seokjin places one of the plates on the table before heading out with the other. He waves at them as he goes down the hall, fiery eyes glowing. 

“Come on, let’s give them some space,” Yeonjun says, still keeping his voice quiet as he gestures at Chan and Felix. “I’ll show you to the breakroom.” 

Soobin nods, getting up and following Yeonjun. The fox knows his way around, walking through the maze of hallways that make up the shelter. 

“Here we are,” Yeonjun says, bowing and gesturing toward a room full of couches and toys. A giant TV screen is on the wall and there’s a snack bar pressed against the wall, though it looks like it’s been thoroughly raided by the many hybrids sitting inside. 

“Bastard’s on the news again,” Seungmin says without looking over at them. “Wanna come boo him?” 

“Hell yes,” Yeonjun says. He swings over and sits beside the other hybrid, grabbing a handful of his popcorn and chucking it at the TV. Soobin curiously moves to get a better view, tilting his head. On the screen, there are two humans and one hybrid. They’re all sitting in plush seats that are angled toward the camera, though none of them are looking at it. One of the humans - a man - is wearing a suit. His hair is bright blue and slicked back as he talks to the other human. They seem to be rather androgynous, though Soobin is guessing they’re male. Their hair is thick and black while they’re wearing a blouse and giant heels that look like they’d be a pain to walk in. Beside them, a fiddly little cat hybrid sits, shoulders drawn up and his hands pressed together between his thighs as he stares at the ground. 

“Ugh, what an asshole,” Taehyung says. “Poor guy stuck next to him like some kind of trophy.” 

“Who is he?” 

“The sexy one,” Yeonjun says. “Seonghwa Park. Founder of the  _ VIPER _ brand, maybe you’ve heard of it? Yeah, that stupid asshole on the screen is the founder and he’s awful. See his teeth? Rumor has it that he got them sharpened just to scare people. And he likes hiring hybrids just so he can have rights to be an ass to them.” 

Soobin frowns, tilting his head. They all continue to watch until Seonghwa’s interview ends and the channel changes, and then everyone’s getting up and heading their separate ways. 

“See you in the morning, Soobinnie!” Yeonjun says, waving over his shoulder. 

“S-see you!” Soobin says after him. 

~

Chan would like very much to sleep for the next billion years, yes, please, thank you very much. Exhaustion weighs heavily in his bones as he walks slowly toward Namjoon’s room, money in his pocket. 

“Hyung?” he says after scanning himself in. “It’s me, Chan.” 

There’s a grunt from the couch and Chan slowly makes his way over. Namjoon is sitting on the couch, his eyes lidded as he reads a book. He looks up, tilting his head curiously. 

“Um, they . . . didn’t give us any information,” Chan says. He pulls out the money clip as Namjoon sits up and puts his book down, frowning and furrowing his brow in question. 

“What-”

“Here,” Chan says, handing him the clip. Namjoon takes it, careful of his claws, and gingerly removes the green bills from the clip. He counts them slowly, making it seem a bit as if he doesn’t really believe what he’s seeing. Then again, dollars are nearly totally gone now, and they’re worth a whole lot. Namjoon’s probably only seen one or two in his life if any at all.

“Huh,” is all he says after counting them. He shrugs. “Well, that’s cool too.” 

Chan stares at him.

“What if it’s a trap?” he says. 

Namjoon, strangely enough, throws his head back and laughs. His shoulders move up and down as he does, and Chan feels his tail tuck itself between his legs out of embarrassment. 

“I guess we’ll find out then, won’t we?” he says, grinning and showing off his pointy teeth. 

Chan nods, his hands folded in front of him. Namjoon looks curiously at them before his tail beckons him over, tilting his head toward an empty space on the couch. Chan walks over and sits beside the older male, watching him cautiously. 

“Chan-ah,” Namjoon breathes, smoke escaping his nostrils, “you know that it isn’t your fault.” 

“But it is,” Chan says, despite knowing better than to argue with Namjoon. “I shouldn’t - I wasn’t careful enough. I shouldn’t have let a human in.” 

“They’re not all bad,” Namjoon says thoughtfully. He nods. “No, some of them are actually rather nice. That’s how we get fosters.” 

Chan rubs his eyes. “I just - Felix and Jisung and . . . it’s all my fault. I’m the one who told you to hire him, to let him in-”

“And I’m the one who agreed,” Namjoon says gently. He smiles at the hybrid and pats his head. “Chan-ah, there’s nothing wrong with being kind. You saw someone who was struggling and you reached out and became friends. Your kindness is not weakness.”

“It was naïvete, though,” he argues. “I - kindness had hardly any part in it. I wasn’t - I didn’t see what was happening right in front of me.” 

“No one did, though,” Namjoon says, rubbing Chan’s back. He nuzzles the side of his face. “Chan-ah, it’s okay to cry, just as it’s okay to fall sometimes. And I think you need some time to cry.” 

Chan sniffles, wiping his nose and looking away. Namjoon hums and slowly moves him around so he’s lying in the older hybrid’s arms, just the way he did when he had nightmares as a pup.

“Hyung,” he whispers and Namjoon coos, nosing his hair. Namjoon is always warm, always keeping the heaters in his room at a high temperature. Seokjin likes it too, and it’s always been rather comforting. Namjoon is petting his hair, running his fingers through the curly black strands. 

“You’ve come so far,” he says softly. “I’m so proud of you, Chan-ah. So, so proud.” 

Chan shivers in his arms, sniveling as he hides his face in the crook of Namjoon’s neck. The lights seem to dim and, when Chan looks up for a second, he sees that Namjoon’s drawn his wings up as a sort of shelter, soft and protective. 

“Hyung,” he cries again. Namjoon hushes him, patting his back. 

“You’re a good leader, Chan-ah,” he says. “You’ve worked so hard, but it’s okay to bend a little to make your burdens easier to carry. It’s okay to ask for help and receive it.” 

Chan doesn’t say anything.

“In fact,” Namjoon says, continuing, “I think that they want you to share them. Especially Felix.” 

Chan sniffles. 

“He’s a good kid,” Namjoon says, maybe talking to himself, maybe not. “A very good kid. Sweet. Did you know he made me brownies and brought them down here the other day? And when he first came here, he made cookies and brought them to me and we sat together and talked. He makes very good cookies, have you had them?” 

Chan shakes his head. 

“Ah, well, you should one day. I know it’s hard at the station, but we can probably find a way to bring them to you, sooner or later. Don’t worry, pup. And I’m sure that he would love to bake you some, don’t you think?” 

“Woojin-”

“-Did everything on his own accord,” Namjoon says. “ _ You _ didn’t abuse Felix, did you?” 

“But Woojin did. And so many other people before him.”

“Yes, but do you truly think Felix blames you?” Namjoon says. He snorts. “Felix isn’t made of glass. He’s much stronger than you give him credit for.” 

“I know,” Chan says, looking away shamefully. “I - he was just - don’t you remember how he came in? He was so small and skinny and little and now-”

“Now he’s grown up,” Namjoon says. He smiles gently at him. “Don’t you think I feel that way about all of you? Don’t you think that I see all of you and that I can’t bear to stand the idea of any of you getting hurt?” He sighs. “Alas, there comes a time when you have to accept these things. Just as it cannot stay spring when winter comes, you cannot baby them forever. They will soon go from boys to men if they haven’t already.” 

Chan huffs, pressing closer to Namjoon. 

“I don’t want them to,” he says. “I want to keep them all here where it’s safe.” 

“And I want to do that with you,” Namjoon says. He sits back smiles at Chan, reaching up to pat him on the head. “But, unfortunately, every bird must leave the nest.” 

Chan snorts a laugh. 

“Do you remember that time when Felix came in with a bird in his mouth?” 

Namjoon hums, nodding. 

“Minho used to catch mice. He’d bring them to Jimin and Yoongi-Hyung. Even with his foot.” 

Chan hums, idly running his hands over Namjoon’s horns. They’re long and twisty, made of bone instead of keratin. They have a bunch of little ridges and some parts are a bit weaker than others, though that’s only because Namjoon’s pretty clumsy and he sometimes chips bits off. They tend to grow back within a month or so, but, according to the man himself, it hurts quite a bit when they’re chipped. 

“You should go to dinner soon,” Namjoon murmurs. He pats Chan on the head again. “They’ll be worried about you.” 

Chan sighs. 

“Okay,” he says, slowly getting to his feet. Namjoon smiles fondly at him. “Thanks, Hyung.” 

“Any time,” Namjoon says, waving at him. Chan waves back as he walks off, headed to the mess hall. 

The others are talking loudly when he arrives. Nearly everyone is finished, though Chan is guessing that Seokjin made them wait. He goes and sits down beside Felix, where the still-full plate waits and begins eating. Felix is warm against him, smelling sweetly of flowers and baked goods. Chan is tempted to scent him, but he holds himself back as he eats. 

“Felix, your heat is starting soon,” Hyunjin leans over to whisper. The other cat hybrid turns bright red and looks at his feet, his tail moving to drape over his lap. Chan chokes on his food and looks over with wide eyes. 

“Shut up!” Felix hisses. Hyunjin snorts and shrugs as he gets up, waving playfully over his shoulder. 

“Your heat?” Chan whispers, keeping his voice down for Yeonjun, Soobin, and Seokjin. “I thought you were on suppressants.” 

Felix shakes his head. 

“Health things,” he mumbles. “You’re not supposed to take them for too long.” 

“Oh,” Chan says. He has to give himself a special sort of tranquilizer shot every other month to make sure his instincts don’t go out of control, as do Taehyung and Minho, though Taehyung only has to do his three times a year since he didn’t inherit as much. He doesn’t know if anyone in the dorm has a heat cycle, but apparently, Felix does. 

“Y-yeah,” Felix stammers, looking up when he sees Yeonjun and Soobin leave. He twiddles his thumbs. “You didn’t - you didn’t know?” 

Well, Chan supposes he’s been busy. Also, from what he can remember, Felix was drugged out of his mind when he was brought to the shelter, and they’d all been told to stay away while Seokjin, Hoseok, and Taehyung had worked to help him. 

“No,” he says. Felix nods, shifting in place. He looks like he wants to say something, and Chan steals a glance at him. Their eyes lock and Felix’s face goes up in flames again as he looks away, continuing to shift nervously. 

“I - uh, I was actually - if you’d - I wanted to - I, um - oh, God, this is a mess,” the cat hybrid says, putting his head in his hands. 

“Hey, Lix, it’s fine,” Chan says. He butts his head against the other hybrid, sniffing. “No need to be nervous.” 

Felix huffs cutely, and Chan can see that he’s pouting when he pulls away. 

“What is it, Lix?” he says. 

“I was . . . was just wondering if you’d like . . . if you’d be open to helping me out.” 

Chan chokes on his food for the second time in less than an hour. Felix, at least, isn’t unaffected by his question, his cheeks a flaming red as he stares at his feet like they’re the most interesting things in the world. 

“I - uh, what prompted this, little one?” he says. Felix shifts in his seat yet again, ears twitching as he holds his tail in his hands. 

“I - um, well, I don’t . . . I don’t really know anyone as well . . . as well as you and, um, well, you see - uh, I’m not trying to be mean, I promise, I don’t care at all, but I . . . you’re also single. I mean, it’s not - I just - I don’t know, I just . . .” he trails off, looking to the side before turning his gaze to focus on Chan. “I trust you, Chris.” 

The words are a heavy lump in Chan’s throat as he stares at Felix. Felix stares back, his big eyes soft and gentle, but still a bit guarded. 

_ Has Felix always had that freckle by his eye?  _ Chan thinks.  _ And those gold flecks, they look new. Have they always been there? _

“Hyung?” Felix says quietly, waving his hand in front of Chan’s face. “Are you still there?” 

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” Chan says, nodding. He bites his lip. “Look, Lix-” Felix’s eyes have always shown his emotions, and there’s no mistaking the pain in his eyes for anything else “-I - it’s an honor, really, that you trust me so much, but I have - I have to go back to work. I - I’m sorry, I really am, but . . . I . . . I can’t.” 

Felix looks a bit like he’s been slapped, but it only lasts for a millisecond before he’s smiling warmly at Chan and hugging him. 

“That’s okay!” he chirps, though his voice cracks a bit. “I’ll - I’ll be fine.” 

“Lix-”

“No, it’s okay, really,” Felix says. He looks away, blinking several times in quick succession. “Really, Hyung, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later!” He bolts, then, not allowing Chan any time to explain. He sighs as he goes, shaking his head and getting up to wash his plate.

He heads to bed but can’t fall asleep. He can hear Jeongin getting up and leaving, and, from behind their door, he can hear the soft, infrequent rustling of Seungmin and Changbin’s sheets. Yeonjun is curled up on his bed, his eyes shut and his face buried in his tail as he sleeps. Chan can see him moving around, shifting about as his ears twitch every so often. 

Sighing, Chan gets out of bed and quietly heads down the stairs of the shelter, planning to grab a midnight snack or something. Despite the fact that he’s only wearing a tank top and some basketball shorts, he finds himself perfectly fine in the cool building. However, the moment he hears one of the doors sliding open, he jerks and his ears shoot to attention while his shoulders tense. He looks around the darkened hallway and then he watches as Minho walks out of the infirmary, white tail swishing behind him. Chan follows quietly, padding along behind the snow leopard until they reach the kitchen. Minho, like Chan, has no need for lights and he chooses to remain in the dark as he grabs the plate from the fridge and begins to eat. He does so while sitting on top of the table, crouched and ready to spring at any attackers. 

Deciding he’d rather not scare him, Chan goes to turn on the lights, but someone beats him to it. 

“Good evening,” Yoongi rasps. He nor Minho have yet to see Chan, though the wolf hybrid feels a bit as if this is something they want to be kept private.

“Hi, Hyung,” Minho says, continuing to sit on the table and pick apart Seokjin’s food. Yoongi walks quietly to the kitchen, looking around. 

“On your right,” Minho says without looking up. Yoongi turns to the side and hums, nodding when he sees the column and being careful to maneuver himself around it. 

“You’d think that I’d have the place memorized by now, what with how long I’ve been living here,” he says to himself as he opens the fridge and pulls out a metal bottle. He walks over and climbs onto the table with Minho, crossing his legs and unscrewing the lid. “How’s Jisung?” 

Minho doesn’t say anything, continuing to eat. Yoongi hums, nodding, He takes a sip from his drink and offers it to Minho, who sniffs it once before taking a long drink. Yoongi snorts when he gets it back, laughing to himself. 

“Damn,” he says as he sets the bottle to the side. He looks over. “You heard about Felix’s heat?” 

“Stopped taking suppressants, didn’t he?” Minho mumbles around a mouthful of rice. “I used to skip my shots. They never gave them to me when I was a kid.” 

Yoongi hums, nodding. 

“I remember how you used to bite us,” he murmurs. He ruffles the other feline’s hair. “You were a cute kid. Just a bit bitey, hm?”

Minho snorts, shoving more food into his mouth. 

“Have you talked with Chan yet?” Yoongi says then. Minho turns and scowls at the older feline. 

“No,” he says. “Hyung, quit bothering me about that.”

“He thinks it’s his fault, though,” Yoongi says softly. 

Minho scoffs. 

“I know,” he says. He shrugs, sighing as his shoulders slump and his chopsticks fall to the table, the sound loud and discordant in the quiet of the mess hall. He hugs himself, shivering and sniffling quietly. “I just - I just miss him a lot. I want - I want him to be okay.” Minho paws furiously at his eyes with his fists, and Yoongi crawls over to hug him, pressing his face into the crook of Minho’s neck.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says gently, nuzzling the side of his neck. “Don’t worry, Min, everything’s going to work out. He’ll wake up before you know it and then you’ll be back to telling him to be quiet.” 

Minho sniffles. 

“It’s just - I just - I  _ knew _ there was something off about that bastard,” Minho growls, grabbing two fistfuls of Yoongi’s shirt. “I  _ knew.  _ So why didn’t - why couldn’t I say anything? Why didn’t I tell any of you guys? I should’ve - if only I’d said something, maybe-” his voice catches in his throat “-maybe Jisung would be okay.” 

“Don’t say that, you idiot,” Yoongi says, scowling. He grabs Minho’s face and squeezes his cheeks. “Do you think Jisung would want to hear you say that?!” 

Minho’s full-out crying now, tears streaming down his cheeks as snot dribbles down onto the space between his nose and lips. 

“He’s going to die, what if he dies?” Minho sobs. “Hyungie, I don’t know what I’m going to do if he dies, Hyung, what if he doesn’t wake up?” 

“He’ll wake up, promise,” Yoongi says. He squeezes Minho’s hands between his own. “He’ll be okay.” 

Chan, as he goes to sleep (or tries to), replays their conversation in his head. So, apparently, Minho  _ doesn’t _ , in fact, blame him for what happened. It seems like he blames himself. 

_ So why . . . ? _ Chan thinks, frowning as he rolls onto his side. His ears twitch at a sob that comes from the feline dorm that sounds suspiciously like Felix. Groaning, Chan shifts uncomfortably until he’s lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling  as he rests a hand on his chest. 

_ Ugh, everything’s gotten so confusing, _ he thinks. Sighing, Chan closes his eyes and shakes his head and prays for sleep. 

He’s called into the station early the next morning. Chan gets dressed quickly, saying goodbye to the few others who are awake, and then he heads upstairs. He drives quickly, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake himself up. 

“What is it?” he says when he arrives. He slams the car door and looks around, just as the sight of five snarling hybrids catches his eye. From what he can see, the two in the middle are both wolves and he thanks himself for remembering to give himself his shot earlier because his instincts are screaming at him to go and battle the other three hybrids surrounding them. Instead, Chan walks forward, parting the crowd before him. One of the wolf hybrids, the taller one, lunges at one of the attackers - some sort of bear it seems - and sinks his teeth into her neck. She growls and drags her claws over his side in retaliation as the wolf’s companion pulls his fist back and punches one of the other hybrids, who seems to be some sort of mountain lion or so, though Chan can’t be sure. 

“I want all of them subdued immediately,” he says, pressing his fingers to his earpiece. He eyes the two wolf hybrids. “Separate the two wolves from the rest, the ones that were together earlier. Yes, you heard me.” He scowls, holding his hand out and taking the tranquilizer gun. They use a special, upgraded chemical to knock hybrids out for long periods of time while its effects appear almost immediately. All that needs to be done is for the chemicals to get into the bloodstream. 

Chan frowns, lifting the gun and closing one eye as he aims. His finger presses down on the trigger and the dart cuts through the air before finally piercing the skin of some sort of canine hybrid. Chan sighs. 

One down, four to go.

~

Hongjoong’s first day at work is rather hectic. After Seonghwa leaves rather abruptly and without an explanation, Hongjoong at least is given a chance to air-out their “shared” (Hongjoong has a desk near the wall while Seonghw sits in the center of the room) office. He takes two puffs from his inhaler and hits his chest, gasping for air. 

“Oh, you’re the newbie!” a deep voice exclaims as the doors to Seonghwa’s office open. Hongjoong shrieks, leaping into the air as his tail shoots out and his ears jerk. The intruder snorts, waving away Hongjoong’s reaction. 

“I’m just here to show you the ropes,” he says. “You guys have an interview to go to later today, so cancel any dinner plans you might’ve had.” He frowns, spotted tail flicking about behind him. He’s a pretty hybrid, with bleach blonde hair that’s parted in front of his forehead and cute ears that stick out of his hair. He’s dressed rather fashionably in a white button-down and golden pants with a matching jacket. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his wrists are weighed down by countless bangs, his fingers covered in golden rings. His earrings are golden hoops with cheetah patterns on them, and Hongjoong can’t help feeling a little jealous of how gorgeous he is. 

“-so make sure he doesn’t drink too much.” The man frowns, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “You haven’t listened to a single thing I’ve said, have you?” he drawls. 

“I - no, sorry,” Hongjoong says, fiddling with his tail. Gosh, he feels so  _ trashy _ standing near this hybrid. 

The cheetah sighs. 

“That’s fine,” he says. “Well, first, you need to make sure his diet pills are replaced by the ones he  _ actually _ needs to take, or at least by the fakes. Both of them are here.” He hands two pill bottles to Hongjoong. “Make sure he doesn’t take them with alcohol, since he’s sure to be drunk by the time he gets to that interview. There’s something labeled ‘interviews’ in his wine cabinet that you should give him if he keeps drinking.” Hongjoong nods. “Also, if he needs more cigarettes then check in his storage cabinets and leave a box on the table for him, or else he’ll get cranky. If you can’t find those, get him his cigars.” He frowns, looking at the screen in his hands and using his pen to scroll through. “Hm, I don’t think there’s anything else, but, if you want to eat, give this to him or just leave it on his desk, he won’t care.” Hongjoong takes the little chip and nods, tucking it into his jacket pocket. 

“Um, uh, thank you,” Hongjoong says. The hybrid snorts and shrugs. 

“Don’t mention it,” he says. “I’m Yeosang, by the way. I work as an editor. Just kind of making sure everything given to him is in tip-top shape. You’ll be checking my work and then doing some of your own. He likes having an extra pair of eyes on his designs, or so he claims.” Yeosang snorts. “But, well, good luck and tell me if you need anything, yeah? I work just outside.”

Hongjoong nods, clutching the pill bottles in his hands as he watches Yeosang turn and walk out. Only after the door closes behind the cheetah hybrid does he let go of the breath he was holding. 

He ends up having to reread the directions that were somehow left on his tablet several times upon several different occasions. Hongjoong does, however, end up switching out Seonghwa’s pills and making him a cup of tea to take with them since coffee this late in the day makes his head hurt. He gets the files sent to him by Yeosang and checks them over, drumming his nails on the glass top of his desk. 

“Quit it, it’s annoying,” a voice snaps. Hongjoong jerks to attention as Seonghwa breezes through the doors of his office, trench coat undone. He’s scowling as he turns to stare out at the city skyline, cigarette butt smoldering in his hand. “Fuck, it’s cold in here, did you open the windows? Goodness, please don’t tell me you like the cold, I don’t think I’d be able to put up with you for any longer.” He sighs, walking quickly to his desk to open one of the drawers. He pulls out a cigarette from the box in his pocket and shoves it into his mouth, using the one in his hand to light it. Then, Seonghwa rifles through his drawer and pulls out the little pill bottle. 

“Did you set this out for me?” he says, gesturing to the cup of tea. Hongjoong nods meekly and the designer huffs a laugh, shaking his head as he holds the cigarette between his teeth. They’re surprisingly good-looking for someone who smokes so much and might be an alcoholic, though Hongjoong hardly knows anything about the man’s habits. 

“You’re very strange, kitty,” he murmurs. Hongjoong bets he’s already forgotten his name. 

“You - um, the interview-”

“Yes, I know,” Seonghwa says. He scowls and picks a few pills out, tossing them into his mouth and washing them down with a mouthful of tea. “I don’t wanna go, damn.” He sits down. “Grab me some wine, will you, kitty? Château Lafite, upper right-hand corner, you can’t miss it. There are glasses somewhere on the shelves, get one of the crystal ones, and put some pearls in it. There’s a pack of them already crushed near the cabinet.” 

Hongjoong gets up and heads to the wine cabinet, his hands shaking as he looks at the bottle before him. He can see the one Seonghwa requested. And the one Yeosang told him to get if Seonghwa was drinking too much. Funny thing is, they’re the same bottle. 

“Well?” Seonghwa says impatiently. “I haven’t got all day. Hurry up, will you?” 

Hongjoong nods, grabbing the bottle and the tin of crushed pearls. He gets a spoonful and dumps it into the wineglass, then pours the wine and mixes them. 

“Yeosang told you to give me something special so I’m not drunk at the interview, didn’t he?” Seonghwa says as he’s handed the glass. He snorts when Hongjoong looks at his feet. “Don’t worry about him, I’m not mad. Then again, my drunkenness could be contributing to that.” He laughs. “Well, we’ll be leaving soon, kitty, so get ready, hm?” 

Hongjoong nods, watching Seonghwa carefully through the corner of his eye. Once you get over how terrifying he is - something that Hongjoong has yet to do - it turns out that he’s just . . . kind of crazy. Then again, isn’t everyone?

He sighs, shaking his head as he climbs into bed. The day has been hectic, though, with Seonghwa’s reputation, Hongjoong supposes it should’ve been expected. He sighs again and curls up, shivering underneath the blankets. It’s cold, too cold to do anything but try and sleep in as many clothes as possible, and Hongjoong hopes he can at  _ least _ do that. He just wants to sleep. 

He’s woken up the next morning by someone yelling through the door to his apartment. Hongjoong wakes up and wraps himself in a robe, scrambling to the door. 

“Yes?” he says. His landlord glares at him before procuring a piece of paper from her jacket. 

“Mr. Kim,” she says, speaking slowly as if she thinks he’s stupid (which she probably does, “you owe me several  _ months’ _ worth of rent.” 

“I-”

“I’m going to have to evict you because you’re already behind and-” Her voice trails off and Hongjoong can feel his heart racing. He clutches the paper and his claws shoot out, piercing the material, his eyes darting down. His chest is closing up and he can’t quite remember where his inhaler is, though he really  _ really _ needs it right now. His landlord keeps talking, why won’t she stop talking? It’s like it’s endless, the supply of words she has to share with Hongjoong, to shove down his throat until he’s shaking in place. His heart keeps beating and it’s too loud, the sound booming in Hongjoong’s ears as they twitch pathetically while he continues to nod along. The landlord finally shakes her head at him one last time before turning around and leaving, then Hongjoong flies into his apartment and slams the door. His knees suddenly give out and then Hongjoong crumples to the floor, hating himself because he’s an adult and he has to go to work and he’s not supposed to be having panic attacks over the littlest things anymore. Of course, this does nothing to stop said panic attack, and Hongjoong continues to gasp and cry into the quiet of his shitty apartment. 

He ends up sitting there for an unknown amount of time, but Hongjoong is still well-aware of the fact that  he’s going to be late for work. It doesn’t help that he has to grab his inhaler and turn on his humidifier while he gets ready either, only making him feel more dependent. His parents had always tried to keep him from getting too panicky when he was a kitten, and, whenever he did, he’d always had his inhaler and someone to calm him down. Now, though, Hongjoong is alone with only his inhaler and humidifier. Maybe he should get a pet. 

_ Ah, but you’re getting evicted! _ a voice sing-songs as he scrambles toward the shitty elevator. He curses and rushes to his car, praying he can find the right shuttle. 

A sense of dread follows him like a shadow as he gets closer to the  _ VIPER _ building. He clutches his bag tightly and rushes through the busy city streets, panting heavily until he reaches the place. People turn to stare curiously at him as he scrambles toward the elevator, probably looking as if he’s just gotten up, and presses his ID against the pad. It opens and Hongjoong prays he presses the right button as the elevator shoots up, the speed making him feel dizzy. 

“You’re late, you’re late!” Yeosang says when he appears, rushing over and clicking his tongue. Once again, he’s absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in his blouse and black pants, a golden belt wrapped around his hips with the two interlocking snakes as the buckle. Why is Hongjoong even surprised he has products from the brand he works for?

“I know, I’m sorry, I just - just I couldn’t-”

“Never mind that, Mr. Park is out so go in and try to get as much set up as possible, your tablet should tell you what he wants if he isn’t being moody. Which, knowing him, he probably is, but just hope his directions are clear enough. If you need any help, call me with the button on your earpiece. Do you have one yet?” 

Hongjoong shakes his head and Yeosang curses under his breath, shaking his head as he beckons Hongjoong after him. They walk through the crowded halls of the highest floor until they reach a storage closet and Yeosang throws the door open to rifle around. He pulls out a small black device and shoves it into Hongjoong’s hands before turning the cat hybrid around and herding him toward Seonghwa’s office. 

As told, Hongjoong’s tablet is sitting on his desk, blue light glowing dimly in the sun-filled room. The heat is nice and Hongjoong hangs his coat up as he takes the tablet in his free hand and scrolls through. The words make his head spin and he has to blink several times before he can understand. 

There is, in short, almost nothing of use on the screen. Seonghwa’s directions are all . . . rather useless, Hongjoong finds, though he somewhat got his point across; he wants Hongjoong to do his job, which, apparently, is to check through the files and  _ do not touch a single thing on my desk because I promise you that I will know and I will know it was you. _ Also, he’s supposed to check his schedule, and Hongjoong is beginning to feel a bit like a secretary rather than an assistant. 

“Rough day, huh?” Yeosang says when Hongjoong comes out of the office for his lunch break. He nods and Yeosang hums, pushing his hair back with one hand. “You should be glad Mr. Park isn’t here. Everyone’s been saying that he’s in one of his moods again.” 

“I hope it’s not my fault,” Hongjoong mumbles, twiddling his thumbs. Yeosang hums and takes a sip from his thermos. 

“Mmm, doubt it. He was like that before he even realized you were late. Sometimes he just comes in and he’s pissy.” Yeosang frowns, looking at the little Mini-Tablet on his wrist. “Who knows? Mr. Park is a different breed.” 

Hongjoong hums, sighing and sitting down, putting his head in his hands. He’s supposed to get paid this month, but it’s supposed to be at the end of the month and he’s going to be evicted in a week if he can’t pay the rent. 

“Fuck,” he says. Yeosang looks over at him. 

“Is everything-”

“No, no, I’m going to get evicted,” Hongjoong says before he can stop himself. “My - I needed - I came here from a charity group. I’m a charity case and that’s how I got to take night classes and then how I got to get this job. That’s how I got here. I don’t have money, I don’t have any family - I don’t have  _ anything _ . I can’t - I don’t know what I’m going to do if I get evicted.” 

“Have you tried asking to get paid early?” Yeosang says. Hongjoong looks up at him and the other hybrid shrugs, looking to the side and making a clear effort to avoid Hongjoong’s eyes. “I’ve done it before. My - my friend, Wooyoung, he’s . . . he’s not in the best place and I was stupid so I asked for money to give to him, thinking he’d use it for rent . . .” Yeosang sighs. “You ever heard of ‘catnip’?” 

Hongjoong hums, nodding. 

“Yeah, well, he can’t get enough of that shit,” Yeosang says bitterly. “He and his boyfriend get it on their own now. I can’t-” his voice cracks “-I can’t be responsible for his death.” He pushes his hair back with one hand, sighing heavily. “So we don’t see each other any more.” 

“Oh,” Hongjoong says quietly. “I - I’m sorry to hear that.” 

Yeosang shrugs. 

“Well, it’s fine, I guess, since I don’t even know where they live anymore,” he says, continuing to avoid Hongjoong’s eyes. “But, uh, that’s not the point of this conversation, is it? No, siree, it isn’t! Yeah, you can probably just ask to get paid early, Mr. Park won’t care. Trust me,” Yeosang says. Hongjoong arches an eyebrow at him and the other hybrid gestures to the door. Just then, someone breezes by them, and Hongjoong catches the scent of cigarettes and red wine. Yeosang grins at him. 

“Well?” he says. “Now’s your chance!” 

Hongjoong turns to the office door and tries swallowing down his fear, and then he gets up and walks over.


	3. Viper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong learns a secret about his boss, Chan hates his job, and Soobin meets some new hybrids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do I know what I'm doing?   
> No.   
> Am I going to continue doing what I'm doing?  
> Yes.

Hongjoong feels a bit sick as he gently opens the door and finds Seonghwa to be sitting at his desk, a cigar in his hand as he fills the air with the sounds of his pencil scraping over his notebook paper. He’s dressed in a fine suit today, his back hair slicked back. Unlike yesterday, he’s wearing a pair of shiny leather loafers that have the sign of his brand on them. 

“You were late,” the man says, not bothering to look up at his assistant, choosing to continue drawing instead, though he does put the pencil down to reach for the glass of wine on his desk. Hongjoong folds his hands in front of himself and bows his head, nodding shamefully as tears prick his eyes. 

“Yes, sir,” he whispers. Seonghwa hums, still continuing to look at the paper before him. “I - I was given notice of my eviction and . . . and I didn’t handle it too well.”  _ Ugh, don’t spill your life’s story. _

“Is that why you were late today, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa says, arching an eyebrow as he holds his cigarette between his middle and pointer fingers and finally looks up. The smoke tickles Hongjoong’s lungs and he’s rather tempted to reach for his inhaler, though he then remembers that he left it with Yeosang. 

“Yes, Mr. Park,” he says, looking down at his feet. “I - I promise I’ll make-”

Seonghwa scoffs, putting his still-lit cigar into the ashtray and looking up at him.

“Hongjoong, kitty, I don’t care about that shit,” he says. He opens a drawer in his desk and pulls out a checkbook. “Here. How much do you need?” 

“It’s four thousand five hundred,” Hongjoong mumbles, looking at his feet. He hears Seonghwa click his tongue, his ears twitching toward the sound. “I’m-”

“I’m giving you this and I expect you to have moved after you’ve amassed a proper amount for a proper living space,” Seonghwa says past his cigarette, having returned it to its space between his lips. “I’ll have Yeosang doing a background check this time next year, since you should have saved enough to get somewhere nicer, hm?” 

Hongjoong gulps and nods. 

“Yes, Mr. Park,” he says. Seonghwa hums, handing him the check. 

“Use it well and don’t cheat yourself,” Seonghwa says. “Also, if I hear a  _ word _ about me paying you for anything such as sex or anything relating to bad conduct, do not think that I’ll hesitate before buying your apartment and demolishing it myself. Do I make myself clear?” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk and lacing his fingers together. 

“Yes, sir,” Hongjoong squeaks. Seonghwa smiles, though there’s no warmth in the expression. 

“Good,” he says. “Now, hurry along, then. You’re still on break as far as I’m concerned.” 

Hongjoong nods, turning around and scurrying out of the office. 

“Hyung?” someone says when he appears. Hongjoong’s eyes widen as he takes in Mingi. The dog hybrid is grinning wildly at them while Yeosang looks between them curiously.

“Mingi?” Hongjoong says. The dog hybrid’s tail wags so fast it becomes a chestnut blur as he hurls himself at Hongjoong, picking him up and jumping up and down. 

“This is him!” Mingi says. “This is Hongjoong-Hyung, my best friend! Wow, I didn’t know you were working here!” 

“I didn’t know  _ you _ worked here!” Hongjoong says. Mingi laughs, gently putting him down. 

“Oh, I’m the secretary, I work at the front desk,” he says, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. “I set up Mr. Park’s appointments and interviews and things. By the way, your guys’ day is super packed tomorrow, just an FYI. Try and get to work early and make sure to  _ actually _ eat something.” 

“Have you not been eating?” Yeosang says, tilting his head and frowning at Hongjoong. 

“I don’t get hungry,” Hongjoong lies, just as his stomach grumbles loudly in denial. The two other hybrids both fix him with a deadpan stare as Hongjoong shrugs helplessly. “Okay, maybe I’m a  _ little _ hungry, but all of my food-”

“-Is shitty ramyun packages that are going to kill you even faster than Mr. Park’s habits,” Mingi finishes. He sighs. “Come on, Hyung, let’s get you something at the vending machine.” 

“I really don’t-”

“Here, take these,” Yeosang says, shoving a handful of glittering agutos in his hand. “On any other day, you’d use your ID, but that can lower your pay if you use it too many times.” Yeosang frowns, looking at his own card. “But, uh, I use it all the time, so I don’t know what Mr. Park qualifies as ‘too many’. Just - uh, just don’t use it today, okay?” 

“But-”

“Hyung,” Mingi says, “just get something to eat. There’s actually healthy food in there, not just those instant meals you eat.” 

Hongjoong groans, shaking his head as he looks at the machine. It’s glowing dimly, proudly displaying all of its options. His eyes run over them and he can feel the drool collecting his mouth, but Hongjoong keeps his mouth firmly shut. He refuses to reveal how hungry he really is, though, as he picks out two salmon  _ onigiris _ , he can’t help but wonder when he last ate an actual meal that wasn’t a cup of coffee or half of an instant ramen. 

“There we go, now get some water,” Yeosang says, smiling and speaking in a way that leaves no room for protest. Hongjoong sighs and picks a water bottle before sliding the coins into the slot and waiting for it to come down. 

“Trust us, Hyung, it’s actually really good,” Mingi says as they sit down. “Mr. Park wouldn’t accept any less than that. He’d probably end up cooking the food himself if it was shitty.” 

“You mean traditional vending machine food?” Yeosang says as he and Mingi pretend to ignore Hongjoong as he stuffs his face with rice, seaweed, and fish. “I doubt he’s ever even  _ eaten _ that kind of food in the past five years.” 

Mingi laughs and Hongjoong feels himself relax more. Mingi’s laughter has always been a sound that calms Hongjoong down, and it’s been difficult to see him recently so it’s even nicer to hear. 

“How - how’s Yunho?” Hongjoong says after finishing the first onigiri. Mingi grins brightly, showing off his fangs and slightly crooked teeth. 

“Oh, he’s great,” he says. “He - well, actually, we planned to go get dinner at this hybrid-friendly restaurant tonight, so Mr. Park is letting me leave early to get ready. And we’re planning to visit a park this weekend, you know? Just because it’s nice to go out sometimes and hang out and Yunho likes winter.” Mingi tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “So yeah. What about you?” 

Hongjoong snorts. 

“I was going to get evicted,” he says and Mingi gasps, covering his mouth with his hands as he stares at Hongjoong with wide eyes. 

“Hyung!” he says. “Is everything okay? You’re not getting evicted, right? You’re moving soon?” 

Hongjoong nods, looking down. 

“Mr. Park paid me early, actually,” he mumbles. “That’s why I - it’s what we were, um, talking about earlier. Before you came.” 

Mingi nods in understanding. 

“Don’t worry, Hyung, both of us have been there already,” he says, shrugging. “When I had to get back surgery, I’d just landed this job, and insurance wasn’t paying so Mr. Park saw to it that it paid. I mean, he’s actually . . . not as terrifying as long as you do your job well.” 

“I didn’t - back surgery?” Hongjoong says. Mingi nods. 

“Yeah, it was an inflamed ligament,” he says. He grins at Hongjoong. “I’m all better now, though.” 

Hongjoong nods. He remembers Mingi complaining about his back hurting, but he hadn’t known it was bad enough to warrant surgery. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not uncommon for employees in bad places financially to ask for Mr. Park to pay them early,” Yeosang says. “I mean, if you do it too often, then he’ll definitely get suspicious since he’s far from stupid or naïve.” 

“ _ Especially _ when it comes to things like money,” Mingi adds as Hongjoong finishes his food. He shivers. “Do you remember when someone tried to scam him-”

“-And he absolutely tore his entire reputation apart? Yes, of course, I do, I was right there, Mingi.” 

Mingi shivers again and hugs himself. “I mean, you’re not stupid either, Hyung,” he says, looking at Hongjoong, “so I highly doubt that you’ll be getting in trouble with him for that. But, like, just in case you suddenly get really stupid.” 

Hongjoong snorts as he balls up the wrappers and drops them in the trash can, walking toward the office. 

“Well, I can’t say I was planning to do that, but thank you both for your sage advice. I’ll see you later,” he says, pointing at both of them. The two hybrids laugh and groan as Hongjoong walks off, gently pushing the door to the office open. 

The atmosphere shifts the moment he steps inside. Seonghwa is drawing at his desk, brow furrowed as his pencil runs over the paper. It’s interesting, really, that he chooses to draw on paper instead of on a tablet, but, well, Seonghwa is someone who often deviates from the norm. The sound the pencil makes as Seonghwa sketches is rather pleasing and Hongjoong finds himself relaxing as he works, both of them coming to a silent agreement to not say a word. Seonghwa will stop every so often to smoke for a bit, puffing away quietly at his cigarette. His suit jacket is resting on the back of his seat and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, revealing a single tattoo. It’s written in dark ink with a swirling, delicate font that looks more similar to someone’s handwriting and says, “The Earth is littered with the ruins of empires that believed they were eternal.” Hongjoong wonders, idly, as he steals a glance at it, if it’s a warning to the designer himself. He also has his own logo, though this one is on the right junction of his neck, where it meets his shoulder. He has no other tattoos that are visible to Hongjoong, though he doubts that these are the only ones. 

“It’s five,” Seonghwa murmurs, continuing to draw. “You should go now.” 

Hongjoong frowns and tilts his head, staring at his boss.

“I thought my day ended when you left here,” he says. Seonghwa looks up, then, and arches an eyebrow that’s been manicured to perfection. Hongjoong feels the air leave his lungs at the sight of him. Some of his hair has escaped from the product slicking it back and it now hangs in thin strands in front of Seonghwa’s forehead, though the imperfections seem to make him even more perfect. His face is wonderfully proportionate, his lips full and pink. His eyes are large and brown, though it’s very nearly black. 

“It does, though I’m planning on staying here for the night,” Seonghwa says. He blinks once at Hongjoong. “I don’t think that you should join me and it’d be cruel to require such a thing from you.” 

_ As if you aren’t known for being heartless already, _ Hongjoong thinks but doesn’t say because he’s quite certain that Seonghwa would murder him if he did.

“I don’t mind,” Hongjoong says, shrugging. “I don’t want you getting lonely. Besides, who’s going to pour your wine?” 

Seonghwa stares at him for several long, quiet moments. His eyes are unreadable and his gaze is dark, head inclined ever so slightly to the side.

And then, just as Hongjoong begins to wonder if he overstepped his boundaries, Seonghwa throws his head back and laughs. It’s a pretty sound, one that Hongjoong wishes he could record. 

“You’re quite strange, kitty,” he says, resting his chin on his palm. He sits back, then, and shrugs. “But, I suppose you make a good point. What do you want to eat?” 

It’s much warmer in Seonghwa’s office than in Hongjoong’s apartment. He likes the temperature to be kept up though he doesn’t seem to sweat at all as he continues to work. Hongjoong will get up every so often to pour him another glass of wine and once to grab him a new pack of cigarettes. Around midnight, Seonghwa switches to tea as he grabs a pair of glasses and then continues to work quietly. Hongjoong wishes he had his own glasses, though he’ll make do with his contacts. 

At around three o’clock in the morning, Hongjoong finally rests his head on the smooth surface of his desk, allowing his eyes to fall shut. Seonghwa seems to wait a bit to check if he’s asleep, and Hongjoong keeps his eyes closed, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He hears someone moving around and then, ever so softly, music begins to play. 

[ _ Once Upon a December (Piano Ver.) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs2VL_HYG9Y)

Hongjoong forces his tail to remain still as he continues to pretend to sleep, though it’s starting to become harder and harder to stay conscious. He hears Seonghwa continue to move around, loafers making quiet sounds as he moves toward where Hongjoong is guessing the wine cabinet is because not long after he hears the sound of something being poured and the clinking of a spoon against the crystal of his antique glasses. Hongjoong can smell the wine too, expensive and grape-y in his nose. He sighs despite himself and hears a quiet chuckle come from Seonghwa as the man (supposedly) returns to his seat. Hongjoong’s ears twitch atop his head and he shifts a bit as the sound of a pencil on paper once again fills the room, this time in harmony with the quiet piano coming from what Hongjoong assumes is Seonghwa’s old, expensive, and restored record player. He can feel his fingers twitching with the notes played, trying to follow along in his head. It makes his brow furrow as he tries to copy the playing fingertips pressing quietly against the glass top of his desk. Seonghwa, if he notices, has yet to say anything and Hongjoong wonders if he even cares, though, with the way he’s been so focused on drawing, one would think that he doesn’t even realize there are other things in the room besides those on his desk. 

Several minutes pass and Seonghwa gets up again. Hongjoong assumes it’s to get another glass of wine or water or a cup of tea, but, instead of pouring himself another beverage, Seonghwa begins moving things around. Hongjoong’s ears twitch curiously as he shifts in his “sleep”, brow furrowed. The piano is still playing, filling the room and somehow making it feel even more aristocratic than before. Hongjoong is growing more and more tired with each passing second, and it’s getting harder to stay awake the longer he keeps his eyes closed. He’s half-certain that he took his contacts out, though he can’t be sure. 

However, he’s given a bit of a wake-up call when Seonghwa first begins to sing. It’s mumbled when he begins, hidden under his breath as if he’s afraid of being embarrassed or Hongjoong suddenly waking up or someone bursting through the doors. But, as time goes on, Seonghwa’s voice gets louder and he’s soon singing along with the record that seems to be on repeat. His voice is beautiful, deep and smooth like running water. The sound of the sewing machine - which is what Hongjoong is guessing he was rummaging around for earlier - somehow manages to compliment the low hum of Seonghwa’s singing. Hongjoong feels his shoulders relaxing even more as the night continues, filled with Seonghwa’s singing and the soft whirring of the sewing machine. Hongjoong wishes he could record it, though he has a feeling that Seonghwa wants to keep his vocal abilities a secret from the world. It interests Hongjoong, in a way, because Seonghwa, when it comes to designing, is so viciously open about his talent in the field. It’s how he got to where he is now because he knew how good he was and understood his talents. He seems to have an eye for the stuff, but, when it comes to his voice, Seonghwa acts as if it’s a terrible embarrassment.

Hongjoong wonders to himself, as he lies there, his cheek pressed against the glass if Seonghwa has any other hidden talents. The man is mysterious, known for dodging questions like they’re bullets. The life he lives behind the camera is hidden, one that is exclusive to only the designer himself. Hongjoong doubts he’d open up for his assistant, especially since his assistant is a hybrid, but, well, there’s no harm in being curious, is there?

He eventually ends up falling asleep to Seonghwa’s singing and the constant whirring of the sewing machine. His shoulders relax and Hongjoong feels sleep wash over him, covering him like a warm blanket as his consciousness drifts away from him. 

Hongjoong wakes up with his shoulders covered by a jacket. He gets up slowly, his bones groaning in protest, and looks around. The office is empty and the jacket is far too nice to be his own. It also smells like smoke and Hongjoong’s nose crinkles as he grabs the lapels, trying to get a feel for the fabric. He looks around the office, finding the sun to be rising in the distance, shyly coloring the pale, blue-grey sky with bright reds and oranges. 

“Mr. Park?” Hongjoong says, slowly getting to his feet. He looks around again, half-expecting his boss to suddenly appear from some random nook in the office. However, Hongjoong remains as the single inhabitant of the room and he frowns, reaching for his inhaler. Its presence is comforting in his hand as he raises it up and takes two puffs, sliding it into the pocket of Seonghwa’s jacket. 

“Mr. Park?” he says again, slowly making his way to the doors. He pushes them open and looks around, finding the office to be empty. The lights, however, are on, and Hongjoong wonders if anyone came early. 

“Mr. Park? Sir?” Hongjoong calls out. 

The only response he receives is the muted  _ ding! _ coming from the elevator as it arrives on the right floor. Hongjoong’s ears twitch and he looks around curiously, tilting his head ever so slightly. 

“Mr.-”

“Here, take this and get dressed, quickly, now,” Seonghwa says, shoving something at Hongjoong. The cat hybrid stumbles back, surprised, but he nods and then begins looking for a changing room. Seonghwa is looking at people’s desks, a cup of coffee in his hand as he pushes through his employees’ things. When he feels Hongjoong’s gaze on him, his head snaps up. 

“Go change in the office,” he says, pointing toward the doors. “Don’t worry about cameras, I allow them everywhere but there. Now hurry up, I won’t let you get filmed.” 

Hongjoong nods, turning around and scrambling back into the office. When he gets in, he finds that Seonghwa has given him not only a shirt, pants, and jacket, but he’s also thrown in a pair of socks, shoes, and some underwear. Hongjoong frowns at them, tilting his head curiously. 

“Mr. Park?” he says quietly, poking his head out of the office. “Is, um, is - you wouldn’t happen to have a shower-”

“Down the hall, third door to the left,” Seonghwa says, not bothering to look up. Hongjoong nods and then scurries away, praying he can follow Seonghwa’s directions.

He is somehow surprised by Seonghwa having a shower built in his office building. Hongjoong opens the door and waves away the steam, his ears flicking in protest. He walks in and finds a locker room, slowly peeling his clothes away from his body. He hugs himself and grabs a towel before walking in, slowly turning on the water. It’s warm against his skin and Hongjoong shivers beneath the spray, slowly relaxing as the warm water covers him. He’s careful to use as little of the various products as possible, still a bit wary as he washes his hair and body. 

(However, that doesn’t change the fact that Hongjoong has the best shower ever.)

After drying himself off and warily using some of the skincare products offered, Hongjoong looks at the clothes. There’s a chiffon  [ blouse ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/846324954971638402/) with ruffle sleeves, soft and smooth as it glides over his skin. He pulls on the black pants and buckles the belt, staring at himself in the mirror as he gingerly touches the silver,  _ VIPER _ buckle. There’s a black jacket for him too, and Hongjoong thinks he heard jewelry clinking the pockets. 

When he’s finished, Hongjoong walks out, holding his old clothes in his arms and pressing them against his chest. Seonghwa, with his hair slicked back once again, gives him a once-over before snapping his fingers and beckoning him over, somehow procuring a makeup bag from who knows where. He cups Hongjoong’s face and it’s at that moment the cat hybrid notices Seonghwa’s acrylic nails, long and pressing into his skin. They’re dark indigo with sparkles on them, shining under the lights. It seems like they’re not something new to the designer as he has no trouble with them that Hongjoong can see, and he can’t help being even more in awe of the man. Seonghwa stands up then, dusting himself off. He’s dressed in a velvet blue sweater that’s a bit loose around the neck, with tight black pants that hug his long legs more than Hongjoong thinks he needs. His shoes are tan little boots with an elevated heel, and his only pieces of jewelry are a long silver necklace with his logo and several assorted earrings. His eyeshadow is sparkling, eyelashes long and black. 

“We’ll get breakfast on the way,” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong notices, then, that the floor has already begun to fill up. People scramble out of Seonghwa’s way as the designer snatches his coat from the hanger, walking briskly toward the glass elevator. Hongjoong scrambles after him, half-tempted to grab his hand but too afraid to attempt it. 

The elevator ride down is filled by a stiff quiet. Seonghwa, the moment the doors close, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box of cigarettes, casually leaning back against the wall of the elevator. He protects the flame of his lighter with his hands, resting his left foot against the glass of the elevator. He takes the thing out of his mouth and releases a puff of smoke into the air. Hongjoong hides his face behind his jacket and gets ready to grab his inhaler just as the doors open. Seonghwa discards his cigarette as they get into the car, pulling out his BluScreen and scanning the words on it with a bored hum. Hongjoong sits still, staring at the ground. 

“Stop for breakfast on the way, you know they can’t do anything to make me be on time,” Seonghwa says, tapping the chauffeur on the shoulder. They nod and Seonghwa sits back, turning his attention to Hongjoong. 

“Sleep well?” he says. Hongjoong nods. 

“Thank you for your jacket, sir,” he mumbles. Seonghwa shrugs as if it’s nothing, looking boredly at his nails. 

“You were shivering in your sleep,” he says. “You’ve been a good assistant to me so far, and I’d rather not go through with the process of hiring a new one.”

Hongjoong nods, continuing to keep his head down. 

“What do you want?” Seonghwa says as the car pulls to a stop. “We’re not leaving the car, I don’t want to sit with those people and the paparazzi is a bitch. Here’s a menu.” 

Hongjoong catches the thin screen thrown at him and looks through. He picks a simple breakfast sandwich and drink, handing it to Seonghwa when he’s selected what he wants. The designer huffs a laugh when he sees and picks his own things, then hands it to the chauffeur. 

“Mind if I roll down the windows?” he says, already opening them. He puts on a pair of sunglasses and grabs a cigarette. “I don’t like smoking in cars when the windows are closed, makes it stuffy and shit.” 

Hongjoong nods, pretending to understand as Seonghwa begins to smoke while they wait for their food. It doesn’t take long for the chauffeur to return, and then Seonghwa is throwing out his cigarette as they drive off. 

The day is clogged with interviews. Hongjoong thinks he might pass out and Seonghwa gets bitchier with every passing moment. Hongjoong has had to go to the bathroom to use his inhaler upon several different occasions, and he’s praying their day ends soon. 

“I’ll drop you off,” Seonghwa says once they’re finished. He side-eyes Hongjoong. “You look like you need it.”

“Thank you, sir,” Hongjoong manages to say. Seonghwa hums. 

“Don’t mention it,” he says. “Address?” 

The drive is surprisingly quick considering how Hongjoong lives rather far from the more human-populated area of the city. They stop a block away and Hongjoong gets out, walking toward his building when he accidentally bumps into someone. 

~

Chan hates himself for rejecting Felix, and the feeling only intensifies when the others, all except for Minho, Jisung, Felix, and Hyunjin, arrive at the station too. Their front is as a group of police officers, specializing in collecting hybrids. It’s easier for them to rescue as many hybrids as possible that way, though it’s sometimes difficult to get them out. 

“Sam-” It's Hyunjin’s English name, Sam Hudson “-is staying in with Felix today, Chief, so neither of them will be coming to work,” Seungmin says as he hands him a tablet. Chan hums, avoiding the other male’s eyes as he looks down at his desk. 

The tablet has normal reports on it. Chan looks through them, frowning. Hybrids - “rabid” ones, at least - have become less common, for better or for worse, Chan doesn’t know. A lot of the time, “rabid” hybrids are simply those who were put into situations where either they didn’t have their shots or they were so overwhelmed that their instincts took over. Of course, in a society where hybrids are born the villains, such things don’t matter at all. 

_ Which is why you do what you do, _ Chan thinks to himself. Most of these cases are rather mundane issues that could be resolved by calling some sort of . . . Chan doesn’t know, maybe some sort of lower authority figure. He just wishes he didn’t have to go to work today. 

(But Chan also isn’t sure if he’d survive being back at the shelter, either sitting in his room alone or helping Felix. He doesn’t know which is worse - knowing Felix is suffering because he’s putting his feelings above him or the rejection he’d inevitably face afterward. Chan doesn’t know anything it seems.)

He’s wallowing and he’s quite certain that he’d spend the rest of his day doing that if not for Seungmin rushing into his office and exclaiming that there’s a rabid hybrid in the H-16 (Hybrid-16) district of the city. Chan gets up quickly, grabbing his jacket among other things before racing out to his car. 

“How’s it looking right now?” he says. 

“Two rabid hybrids, one docile, and one human,” Jeongin reports. He presses his fingers to his earpiece, furrowing his brow and frowning. “The rabids are a snake and a fox, though the fox seems to be intoxicated. All of them are males.” 

Chan hums, nodding as he stops the car near a crowd of people. Most of them are hybrids, though he can see a few humans here and there as he gets out. 

“Fox hybrid is reported to be carrying some sort of drug as well,” Seungmin says as he appears beside him. He hands him a screen. “Here’s the recording, though I think-”

“Back the fuck up,” a voice Chan knows all too well hisses. He raises his head and bites back a sigh when he sees none other than the famous designer and model and total asshole, Seonghwa Park, standing in the crowd. He’s glaring at the snake and fox hybrids, using his body to shield a quivering cat hybrid. “Back the fuck up before you get  _ smacked _ the fuck up.” 

“Is that why they asked for backup?” Chan grumbles as he holds his hand out for a tranquilizer gun. “Because of Seonghwa fucking Park?” 

Changbin snickers beside him. 

“Probably,” he says. “Man’s vicious whenever he wants to be, meaning all the time, and he’s probably as dangerous as - holy shit, that’s a black mamba!” 

Chan’s head jerks as the snake hybrid opens his mouth, revealing obsidian gums and pristine white teeth. Two little fangs shoot out from next to his front teeth, pointed and glistening with saliva. However, the view of the inside of the mamba’s mouth doesn’t last long as he turns and sinks his fangs into the nearest bystander, jumping back and grabbing the wrist of his companion before they both bolt. 

“Someone go after them!” Chan says. Changbin and Seugmin are the fastest and Chan watches as their car goes before turning back to the scene, though it’s not like he has to because Seonghwa stalks toward him, fury emanating from him. 

“You’re  _ late _ ,” he spits. “What if I’d been bitten? What if my assistant had been bitten? Chief Bang, I would’ve expected more from you and this just feels sloppy, don’t you see? They got away!” 

“Mr. Park,” Chan says, “please, calm down. The situation is under control. There’s an ambulance coming for the  _ single _ victim and we’re going after-”

“I want to be in charge of what happens to them,” Seonghwa says briskly. He reaches around for his back pocket and then frowns. The cat hybrid rushes up and offers him a black velvet coin purse, the clasp a pair of silver snakes. Seonghwa opens it and pulls out a few bills, handing them to the wolf hybrid. “Here, this should be more than enough.” 

“Mr. Park, you - are you trying to  _ bribe _ me?” Chan says as the scent of the  _ dollar bills _ fills his nose. Then again, is he surprised? Seonghwa Park is known to be one of the richest people in the world. “I’m sorry-”

“I’m not bribing you, I’m threatening you,” Seonghwa says, tucking the purse under his arm. He once again looks for something that his assistant hands him. It’s a cigarette, one that Chan has seen before. The designer lights it, crossing an arm over his stomach and resting his other elbow on his palm. “How do you think the public would react if they were to find out that their beloved protector had let two little hybrids get away after killing someone and threatening one of the most powerful people alive?” 

_ I’m not sure I’d say powerful, but you are certainly a terrible person, _ Chan thinks. 

“Mr. Park-”

“Ah!” Seonghwa says. He leans forward, smelling of smoke and money. His lips part from his teeth, turning into what Chan thinks is  _ supposed _ to be a smile. It doesn’t quite carry through, though, since his eyes are cold and cruel and condescending and his surgically sharpened teeth are still as threatening as natural ones if not more. “Chief Bang, I’m sure you don’t want to make me your enemy. You know I support your cause, don’t you?” 

Oh, Chan knows. The  _ VIPER _ brand has always been a great funding source for the hybrid removal services, and it only fuels Chan’s hate for the designer. Some of the money, though, goes to the underground rebellion, and they’d suffer for it if Seonghwa stopped supporting the enemy. 

Chan looks around, checking to see that the crowd has dispersed. 

“Okay, fine, you win,” he growls. Seonghwa grins triumphantly. “But no funny business. I’m putting my trust in you.” 

“A wise decision,” Seonghwa says, still looking smug as he watches Chan slide the money into his back pocket. “I do hope we’ll be able to work together more in the future,” he says, and then he gets into his car, the windows closing as he continues to smoke. 

“He doesn’t like smoking with the windows closed,” a quiet voice says. Chan looks over and finds Seonghwa’s assistant to be still standing on the sidewalk, his ears pressed to his head as he hugs himself. “He thinks the smoke makes it too stuffy.”

Chan shifts in place, waiting to see if the hybrid will notice him or if he’ll have to go up to him himself. It seems like the second scenario is more likely since the cat hybrid continues to stare dazedly after the car of his boss. 

“Excuse me, sir,” Chan says, walking slowly and gently tapping the hybrid on the shoulder. He jerks, surprised and frightened as he turns to Chan with wide eyes and puffed fur.

“I - that - he’s my - my boss, sir,” he stammers, bowing his head and tucking his shoulders in. “I - here’s my ID.” He hands Chan a little screen card and a picture of the hybrid appears, stating his name, birthday, age, gender, species, and other things used to identify hybrids, such as owners or claimers, who are usually employers. Chan looks at it, pretending to scrutinize the card.    
_ Name: Kim, Hongjoong _ _   
_ _ D.O.B.: 11/9/98 _ _   
_ _ Age: 21 _ _   
_ _ Sex: Male _ _   
_ _ Hybrid yes/no: Yes _ _   
_ _ Species: Felis silvestris catus, mixed breed _ _   
_ _ Owner yes/no: No _ _   
_ _ Claimed yes/no: Yes _ _   
_ __ NoC: Park, Seonghwa

“Yes, thank you,” Chan says, handing the little card back. Hongjoong shoves it into his pocket and nods, staring at the ground. He reminds Chan a bit of Felix when he first met the other feline. Shy and desperate to be invisible, always tensed and ready to run. “Um, uh, it’s a bit late.”

Hongjoong nods. 

“Could I walk you home?” Chan says. “This time of day is always dangerous, especially for hybrids, and your boss is already breathing down my neck about this, so how about it?” 

Hongjoong shakes his head quickly. 

“It - it’s okay, sir!” he squeaks. “I - I have - I live just down the block over there, it’s fine, but thank you very much!” 

“I insist,” Chan says. He knows it’s a dick move, but he really wants to get to know more about the elusive Seonghwa Park’s assistant. While the designer is known for hiring hybrids, though it’s unknown  _ why _ exactly, the privilege of being his assistant has been awarded to maybe two or three (but that’s taking a pretty big leap)  _ humans _ . Chan wants to know what this hybrid did to get into his position. 

They walk slowly down the block, Hongjoong hugging himself and keeping his eyes trained on the ground. He’s dressed surprisingly well for someone who lives in such an impoverished area of the city, though Chan has a sneaking suspicion that the clothes are from his boss. He’s quite small and they’re close in height, though Chan is the tiniest bit taller. It’s not noticeable, but Hongjoong is acting as if Chan is six feet tall, keeping his head ducked low as they walk. 

“H-here it is!” he stammers when they reach an apartment building. “I - I’d really better be going, now, sir, but thank - thank you so much! Goodbye, have a nice day!” 

He then turns around and scurries away, not bothering to wait for a response, though Chan supposes he can’t really blame him. He knows what his reputation is, what he’s famous for, and Hongjoong certainly does too. So Chan simply watches as he goes before sighing and pressing his fingers to his earpiece. 

“How’s it looking out there?” he says. 

_ “Lost them a while back, though we’re still in H-16, sub-7. I’ll show you on the map when we get back,” _ Seungmin says. Chan hums. 

“Do you know if they went into any sort of building or something?”

_ “ _ Someone _ says it’s somewhere are #601225, or so he thinks. I’m checking-” _

_ “Give it a break, Sky, not everyone can memorize building IDs like you,” _ comes Changbin’s voice from the other side of the line, muffled because he’s trying to speak into Seungmin’s earpiece. But what alerts Chan the most is that he’s using Seungmin’s English name, something that only comes out whenever they’re being watched or listened to. It makes Chan stiffen and, even through the netting, he can feel his tail straighten as his ears fight to shoot up. 

“Okay, mark it down when we get back, yeah?” Chan says. 

_ “Yeah, okay.” _

“Also, Sky,” Changbin says as he gets into his car, Jeongin beside him, “can you or Lewis do a report on both hybrids?”

_ “It’s a bit stuffy, kinda fogging up outside,” _ Changbin grumbles and Chan can see when Jeongin hears it, his eyes widening. 

“Okay, okay,” Chan says. “You think it’s gonna clear up soon?” 

_ “Doesn’t look like it,”  _ Seungmin says.  _ “Hey, uh, can we talk later? I don’t trust Lewis.”  _ The line goes dead and Chan has to bite back a curse as he starts the car. 

They get back to the station before Seungmin and Changbin, and Chan is growing more and more worried with each passing moment that they’re not there. Jeongin helps do the report, though Chan can tell he’s stressing out over Seungmin and Changbin too. 

“Uh, sir?” someone says. Chan turns to the boy, humming in question. “We’ve got a call from car number 8729, do you want-”

“Put them on the line, onto the earpiece, right now,” Chan says. The man nods, pressing a few buttons. 

_ “Hey, Chief, you’ve gotta - I mean, you might wanna come see this. Shit’s wild down here,” _ Changbin says. Chan can hear someone say  _ fuck _ very loudly in the background.  _ “Yeah, you’re definitely going to want to take a look at this, it’s-” _ Changbin must stumble on something because he curses and there’s the sound of something being moved around  _ “-it’s pretty big.” _

“All right, I’m on my way,” Chan says. He turns to Jeongin and the fox hybrid taps twice on his desk, just enough that only they can hear it. It’s a silent question, asking if everything’s okay. Chan taps his toe three times, telling him he doesn’t know before he heads out. 

Changbin wasn’t kidding around when he said there was a lot of fog, though Chan also knows it was because he meant he didn’t think they’d let up on listening to them for a long time. He’ll have to tell Yoongi when he gets back to the shelter, ask him about checking the earpieces and finding the little mics installed. 

_ It must’ve been the last upgrade, shit, _ Chan thinks as he drives. He’s entering the same district they were in when they got the call early, heading slowly toward the location Seungmin sent to him. He stops nearby the familiar shape of their car, getting out and looking around. 

“Sky? Lewis?” he calls. 

“Here, Chief,” Changbin says gruffly and Chan follows the sound of his voice until he finds the two dog hybrids crowded together under the awning of an apartment building. It’s strikingly familiar and Chan realizes, then, that it’s the same one Hongjoong went into. 

“We chased them all the way back here,” Changbin says, “but that’s not what’s important.” He looks up at Seungmin. 

“We - we found a lead for our . . . missing person case,” Seungmin says, his voice hushed. Chan balls his hands into fists, digging his nails into the skin of his palms. Ever since Woojin’s betrayal, the man has disappeared off of the face of the globe without a single bit of proof that he ever even  _ existed _ . It’s quite frustrating for everyone since he worked in the station and everyone’s breathing down Chan’s neck for him to find him, including those at the shelter. He has important information about their coalition, and, should it get out, it could mean the end of everything they’ve worked so hard for. So, now, Chan and the rest of the shelter are racing the rest of the authorities to find him. It’s not that fun. 

“What is it?” 

“Old security footage, dumped in the trash,” Changbin says. “Sky just happened to get lucky when he found a video of the guy.” 

Chan nods slowly. 

“Well, I want it brought back to the station, okay? Also, I want new cameras or drones or  _ something _ brought over here to keep an eye out for the two hybrids from earlier today. Tell me when you find anything, okay?”

Changbin and Seungmin both nod, then Chan bids them goodbye and heads back. 

~

Soobin has gotten a lot better at socializing. He knows everyone’s names for the most part, and he’s become friends with Yeonjun, Beomgyu, and Hueningkai, though he’s guessing it’s because two of the three hybrids are very sociable and all three of them have the most free time on their hands. Chan seems to be gone the most out of everyone, though Jeongguk, Taehyung, and Jimin will sometimes go out to wreak havoc in the city, just to remind everyone that they’re still there. Hoseok splits his time between working as a receptionist of sorts and a social worker who takes care of hybrids and is essential to transporting them to the shelter or other locations. Yoongi, of course, stays back and takes care of all things concerning technology while Seokjin seems to be a sort of spokesperson for them, making underground deals with big companies secretly run by supporters. He’s perfect for the job, chock-full of charisma and drop-dead gorgeous. Namjoon does the planning and maps things out, managing what he can. He consults the others for bigger decisions, and, though Namjoon is the sort of leader of it all, one can easily see that it’s a group operation. 

“Soobinnie!” Yeonjun cries as he enters the gym. Soobin turns red and waves shyly, shifting about in his seat. Yeonjun comes over and sits beside him, whistling loudly. 

“How’s Felix?” he says. Soobin shrugs. Because they’re both felines, they’re in the same dorm, though Felix has been kept in his own room that keeps any scents from getting in or out for the entirety of his heat. As Chan had said, he’d somehow baked Soobin some cookies and left a few on his bed after he’d scented his area, and Soobin can easily say that he’s the best baker he’s ever met. 

“He’s - uh, Hyunjin says that he’s in the final stages, so he should be out either today or tomorrow or, at the most, later this week.” 

“Ah, so someone should call Chan-Hyung,” Yeonjun says, laughing. Soobin nods. Chan and Felix’s crushes on each other are a sort of running joke among everyone else. Soobin, from what he’s heard, thinks they’re both ridiculous, especially after Hyunjin told everyone that Felix had apparently asked Chan to help him with his heat and Chan had declined so now Felix is sobbing non-stop and claiming that he’s totally unlovable. 

“Yeah, I thought I heard he was coming back soon,” Soobin says. Yeonjun hums, patting him on the head as he gets up and stretches. Soobin’s ears twitch curiously Yeonjun coos.

“Your ears are just so cute, I hope you know that,” Yeonjun says as he continues stretching. “They’re so round and adorable and soft, you know?” 

“Not really?” Soobin says as he gets up to stretch since, according to Jeongguk and Seokjin, it’s what you’re supposed to do after working out. Before and after is best, and Soobin supposes he can’t really argue with them since he doesn’t know much about that. 

“Well, now you do,” Yeonjun says, grinning. He’s wearing a pair of spandex leggings ( _ spandex!) _ and a loose t-shirt, hair in a cute little ponytail at the base of his neck. “Anyway, did you hear about what’s happening today?” 

Soobin shakes his head and Yeonjun grins, his tail wagging. 

“Really?” he says, sounding a bit shocked and very enthusiastic. Soobin nods. “Oh, well, today we’re supposed to - I mean, Hobi-Hyung is bringing in new hybrids!” 

Soobin’s eyes widen and he gets to his feet, his stretching put on hold for a bit as he says, “Really? Today? When?” 

Yeonjun laughs and shrugs. 

“Whenever he gets back home from work I guess,” Yeonjun says. “Hyung works weird hours, so it could be tonight, dinner, later, or right-”

“They’re here!” someone shrieks, probably Hueningkai. Yeonjun and Soobin look at each other before they’re both sprinting down the hallway toward the front entrance. 

“They’re here?” Hyunjin says, poking his head out from the breakroom. Yeonjun gives him a thumbs up and he turns to yell over his shoulder. “Yah, get up you lazy-ass cats! They’re here!” 

“They’re here?” Beomgyu says from inside as Hyunjin runs off. Felix pads out after the cheetah, his eyes dropping a soft white blanket wrapped around him. 

“Is Channie-Hyung with them?” he says sleepily. 

“I don’t think so,” Yeonjun says. He wraps an arm around the other hybrid’s shoulders. “Don’t you wanna go eat something, Lix?”

Felix pouts, scrunching his face up. 

“I can smell a wolf, though,” he mumbles, shuffling along. Soobin frowns and lifts his nose into the air, sniffing. He’s never really thought of certain species having particular smells, though he can safely say that reptiles smell different from mammals and that Yeonjun and Felix have a distinct difference in scents that, say, Beomgyu and Felix don’t have. 

“Mm, me too,” Yeonjun says. He shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe he is here.” Felix perks up visibly as they walk down toward the reception area where Soobin can already hear the others. 

When they arrive, the other hybrids have all crowded around three people and backed them against the door. Hoseok has his arms held in front of two other hybrids, a pair of gray wolves, and both canines are angrily showing their teeth. 

“Back, dipshits!” Hoseok yells as they all begin to move away. “You wanna get bitten or something?” 

They, thankfully, back away. Hoseok sighs and turns to the two wolf hybrids with an apologetic smile. 

“I’m sorry about that,” he says. “They’re not usually like this, trust me. Do you want me to show you to your rooms?” 

The two of them are both holding onto each other’s jacket sleeves, though their coats are too big on both of them. The taller of the two nods and Hoseok smiles again, waving at them to follow him. 

“Wow, I wonder if they’re brothers or something,” Yeonjun murmurs as they watch them go. “I mean, they don’t look related, but they also could’ve . . . I dunno, they’ve probably been out on the streets together or something like that. What d’you think?” 

“They’re definitely close,” Soobin says. He shrugs. “I dunno. I think your second theory might be right, but I don’t think we should press them for info. They seem pretty stressed out.” 

“Who isn’t when they first come here?” Beomgyu says, tilting his head curiously as he rests his arm on Soobin’s shoulder. “The tall one was cute though.” 

“They were both good-looking,” Yeonjun says, shrugging. “Hybrids always are.” 

Hyunjin snorts and several people snicker. 

“I guess with the exception of you, Hyung,” Hueningkai says and Yeonjun shrieks angrily before chasing after him. The rest of them watch as they go, half-paying attention, half-thinking about other things. Soobin’s still wondering about the two new wolf hybrids, curious as to who they are and what they’re like. And, against his better judgment, he follows them. 

He can hear Hoseok talking to them as he gets closer. The dog hybrid really is good at introducing people - he’s so kind and bubbly and sweet that it’s nearly impossible not to feel relaxed around him. Even these two wolf hybrids seem to have lost some of the tension in their shoulders. They’re still holding onto each other, but they seem a little more willing to talk. 

“And I’m so sorry, but would you mind telling me your names?” Hoseok says. “I just - uh, gosh, I’m pretty bad at remembering things like that, and I need to make your IDs. Sorry,” he says sheepishly.

“No, it’s fine,” the shorter hybrid says. He gestures to himself. “I’m Jongho, and this is Taehyun. Do you - uh, last names too?” 

“That’d be great,” Hoseok says, smiling charmingly at them. 

“Taehyun Kang,” Taehyun says quietly. 

“Jongho Choi,” Jongho says. He looks worriedly at Taehyun and the other hybrid shakes his head. “Uh, this is our dorm?”

“Yep!” Hoseok chirps. “There’s a dinner bell, so you needn’t worry about things like that, but I can also ask Jin-Hyung to leave out some plates for you if you’re more comfortable with something like that. Just - uh, you might want to watch out for Minho. He’s our snow leopard, he doesn’t like eating during the day, so he tends to prowl around at night. Don’t worry, though! He’s mostly harmless unless you try to provoke him, so I think you’ll both be fine! If you have any more questions, though, you can always ask me or someone else in your dorm or around the shelter. I sleep down the hall, third door on the left side of the corridor.” 

Taehyun and Jongho both nod and Hoseok’s smile brightens as he squeezes both of their free hands. 

“Great!” he says. “I’m sure you’ll like it here, you guys both seem like you’re good kids. Everyone here is pretty sociable, so you don’t have to worry about being lonely, promise!” 

Once again, Taehyun and Jongho both nod and Hoseok waves as he walks down the hall and straight toward Soobin. The panther squeaks in surprise just as Hoseok spots him, his brown eyes growing wide. 

“Soobin?” he says. “Did you come to say hi?” 

Soobin shrugs, scratching the back of his neck shyly.

“I - yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to be a bother,” he says. Hoseok shrugs, gesturing toward Taehyun and Jongho who both are still standing in the middle of the hall. 

“You can show them around if you’d like, I don’t think they’d mind,” he says, shrugging again. He smiles at Soobin. “I think you might be the best at it since you’re so down-to-earth. The rest of them-”

“Channie-Hyung?” a voice mews, one that definitely belongs to Felix. The cat hybrid comes padding up the stairs, still wearing his blanket cape, looking around curiously. He probably followed the scent of ‘wolf’ to get up here. “Channie-Hyung?” 

Hoseok clicks his tongue. 

“I think I might call him to come back soon,” he says. He turns to Soobin. “Do you want me to take care of him, or do you want to do it? It’s up to you.” 

Soobin shrugs. 

“I can do both if that’s easier for you,” he says. “Felix probably won’t mind just hanging around here, and I’ve heard that during heat and after it, it helps to have clothes from the object of your affections or just someone close. Maybe he can raid Hyung’s closet, I dunno,” he says, shrugging. Hoseok snorts and shakes his head. 

“All right, Soobin, I’ll leave them to you,” he says. He salutes him. “See ya!” 

Soobin waves, smiling softly as he watches Hoseok guide Felix over. The cat hybrid looks up at him and tilts his head, lips turning into a pout. 

“Hey, Hyung,” he says. Soobin snorts. 

“Come on, Felix, let’s go give these guys a tour, huh?” he says. Felix hums, nodding as they head over to Jongho and Taehyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yee yee


	4. Shared Cigarettes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soobin and Yeonjun get in trouble because of a few . . . questionable decisions, Chan is tired (but wbk), and Hongjoong is stressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year ig  
> Also!! Quick t/w that might've been mentioned in the tags though I can't remember - Seonghwa, in this fic, has OCD and it is explicitly mentioned. I'm in no way trying to fetishize or use it to make him or anyone else seem alienated. thx luv u bye

Felix, almost immediately, starts sniffing both Jongho and Taehyun. Both of them look mildly alarmed, their eyes growing comically wide as this tiny, dainty cat hybrid sleepily inspects them, and Soobin has to hold back a laugh. 

“Sorry, his heat just ended,” he says, trying to bring Felix back. “His - uh, the guy he likes is a wolf hybrid too, so he thought-”

“You guys aren’t Channie-Hyung,” Felix says. Soobin snorts and pats him on the head, trying to soothe him. Jongho and Taehyun look at each other, having a silent conversation. 

“Is - there’s another wolf?” Taehyun finally says. Soobin hums, nodding as he swipes his ID. 

“Yep. He’s probably coming tonight since Hobi-Hyung said he’d call him in. He’s super nice, don’t worry,” Soobin says as they head inside of the dorm. Felix crumples a bit beside him, taking a whiff before making a beeline straight for one of the rooms. Soobin snorts as he goes, stepping back to look at Taehyun and Jongho. They’re still clutching each other’s jacket sleeves, looking around curiously and scrunching their noses up at the assault of new scents. 

“How many people are in here?” Jongho says. 

“Uh . . . well, there’s Chan-Hyung who sleeps in the room Felix just went to raid, uh, Seungmin and Changbin-Hyung share a room, Jeongin and Hyunjin will either sleep there or in Hyunjin’s room, and Yeonjun-Hyung sleeps over there I think. They’ll tell you when they come up if you ask, though there are enough bedrooms for you both to have your own or you can share, I don’t care. S’up to you.” 

Both hybrids nod, neither saying anything. Soobin smiles at them, then he heads to Chan’s room and pokes his head in, gently rapping his fist against the door. Felix is a little puddle on top of Chan’s bed, curled up with his face pressed into the pillow. 

“Felix, we’ve gotta keep showing Taehyun and Jongho around,” he says. Felix hums, though it’s not much of an acknowledgment as he continues to burrow into Chan’s blankets. “Felix, you  _ do  _ know that he’s coming back today?” 

Felix hums. Soobin wants to laugh as he gently picks the cat hybrid up, shifting him around and helping him to stand. Felix grunts and half-heartedly swipes at him, grumbling as Soobin leads him out of the room. He notices, as they’re walking down the hallway, that he left his blanket in Chan’s room and took an oversized sweatshirt as its replacement. 

“Uh, over there is where I sleep,” Soobin says, gesturing to the feline dorms. “We’re separated by, like, family, I think, and then sex, though this is a male location. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know, since near everyone here is gay or something. I don’t know.” 

Jongho and Taehyun both snort laughs at that and Soobin grins as he walks down toward the elevator, swiping his ID once again. 

“There’s a lot of security around here,” Taehyun notes quietly. Soobin hums in question before shrugging and nodding. 

“Yeah,” he says. “You can ask Yoongi-Hyung about that if you’re interested.” Taehyun hums, nodding as they step inside. The doors close behind them and Soobin stares at the numbers, though they’re only a floor above. 

“So, down here is the infirmary,” Soobin says. He points toward the signs. “The mess hall is in the same direction as the restaurants, and it’s also where we eat. There’s a library somewhere around here too, and a pool. The gym’s upstairs and so’s the breakroom, so that’s that. Uh, I’ll show you the infirmary first, I guess,” he says, turning and walking down the hall. He can hear the others talking and goofing around nearby, though none of them come over. 

“Here it is,” Soobin says, gesturing to the glass doors with the word ‘infirmary’ written above them. He doesn’t scan his card. “Uh, Minho-Hyung’s in there. He’s the snow leopard Hobi-Hyung told you about. Jisung - um, he doesn’t like being without Jisung, so he tends to do his own thing. Don’t worry, though, he’s fine.” 

“What about Jisung?” Jongho says, tilting his head. “What happened?” 

“It was a failed mission,” Felix says. He sighs. “Shit hit the fan and Jisung was the one who took the brunt of it.” 

“Oh,” Jongho says. “I’m sorry.” 

Felix shrugs again, only looking wistfully at the infirmary and Minho’s back. 

“I’m not the one suffering,” he says quietly. Soobin looks around, shifting in place. 

“Uh, should we continue the tour, then?” he says nervously. Felix smiles at him and nods, then they begin walking again. Soobin names the rooms he can, Felix chiming in whenever he struggles, and then they end up back in the front. 

“So, uh, like Hyung said, if you have any questions, you can just ask one of us,” Soobin says. “I think anyone would be happy to help.” 

“Thank you,” Jongho says. Soobin shrugs. 

“It’s no problem,” he says. He smiles at them. “Take it easy, yeah? I’ll see you at dinner.” 

Jongho and Taehyun, unsurprisingly, fall easily into place with their little group. They begin branching out, though they’re still very close to each other, but it’s clear that they’re relaxing much more with the other hybrids. Taehyun and Yeonjun start working out together and Jongho gets close with Hyunjin and Jeongin relatively quickly. When Chan returns, the two wolves are rather curious about him, though they’re both rather shocked (within reason) to see who he is. Chan is happy to explain and, by the end of it, the three of them seem to share a sort of understanding with each other. Soobin himself can’t relate to it, though he’s happy to see that Jongho and Taehyun are both settling rather well. 

He also sees Minho out of the infirmary for the first time. He can’t exactly tell how long it’s been since he first got to America, but he knows at least a week has passed since he got off of the plane. He and Beomgyu are sitting in the sort of common room of their dorm, talking quietly because Hyunjin and Jeongin are both sleeping, when the doors slide open and in comes Minho. His eyes are bright even in the dark, though, instead of the normal feline gold that both Beomgyu and Soobin share, Minho’s eyes are a bright, icy blue that Soobin’s never noticed before. He doesn’t seem to notice the other two hybrids as he pads inside and heads to one of the rooms, spending a few minutes inside before leaving. 

“He does it every week or so,” Beomgyu whispers once he’s gone. “He’s scenting his things, you know, to make sure that no one tries to sleep in his room. Other than that, he never comes in here.” 

“Oh,” Soobin says. Beomgyu nods, sighing sadly. 

“He cried a lot the night of the accident,” he says. “He cried and cried until he couldn’t anymore, though I think the tears kept pouring and that his throat was just too hoarse for him to keep making noise.” He sighs again. “We could hear it for hours. I don’t think anyone slept that night.” 

Soobin hums. 

“You were there?” he says. 

“Nah. Lucky enough to stay home, unlucky enough to help unload Hyung from the ambulance and bring him into the infirmary.” He shivers and hugs himself. “Fuck, that was awful. Blood’s a bitch to wash out of your clothes if you know what I’m saying.” 

Soobin hums again and nods, looking out toward the door as Beomgyu gets up. 

“We should go to bed,” he says. “Enough talking about the accident. Come on, Hyung.” 

Soobin nods, taking his hand and getting up. However, even after he can hear Beomgyu begin to talk in his sleep, he still wonders about the failed mission and what exactly happened. 

The next morning, a bit after breakfast, he bumps into Seokjin on his way to the break room. The phoenix hybrid is a mess, his ember-eyes wide as he looks around. 

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here,” he says. He shuffles some papers. “Look, we’re going to be having a bunch of people over to discuss something about an attack, and Namjoon needs more cigarettes, yeah? You should bring someone with you, just because it’s better that way and there’s strength in numbers or whatever they say. I don’t care, but can you just run this errand for me? Please?” 

Soobin nods and Seokjin looks like he’s going to pass out from relief. 

“Does he like a certain brand or type or something?” Soobin asks. 

“Sobraine black Russians, I’ll send you an address, and use some sort of disguises, okay? Make sure to be careful and be back before lunch, yeah? Okay, great, see you then,” he says, waving as he dashes down the corridor. Soobin watches him go before checking his BluScreen, finding a little address on it. 

“Oh, wow, that’s in, like, the  _ super _ rich part of the city,” Yeonjun says when he sees the address, looking down curiously. His hair is done in a messy bun on the top of his head, a few stray, cotton candy pink strands framing his face. Soobin hums. 

“So we shouldn’t expect to see any hybrids?” he says as Yeonjun begins to drive. 

The fox hybrid snorts. 

“Hell no,” he says. “I mean unless they’re pets, in which case yes, we’ll see plenty of those.”

“Pets?” Soobin says. Yeonjun hums, nodding. 

“Yeah, you’ve heard of them, haven’t you?” he says. 

“Considering I pretended to be one for a couple of years, yeah, I do,” Soobin says. Yeonjun hums again, looking at the little GPS. 

“They’re super common up there, so just look out and hope they don’t smell you,” Yeonjun says. “Hell, just act like they aren’t there. That’s what everyone else does.”

Soobin hums and nods, turning to look out the window at the passing city streets. Here, in the human districts, it’s not too different from where he grew up in Seoul. Huge buildings with giant, blue-ish glass windows fill the space, the streets dotted with countless people all lost in their own worlds. Shuttles zoom along, stopping to let people get on or off, and large, faintly-glowing vending machines are pressed against the buildings, advertising the contents with bright colors and large, bubbly fonts. Guards patrol the streets, checking for stray hybrids running about, stopping and checking IDs. Soobin and Yeonjun both tense as they drive by one, getting closer to a so-called “checkpoint”, where they’ll both hand their IDs over for a scan. 

“Just stay calm,” Yeonjun says, though it has little effect on him as his grip is still-white knuckled and his brow is still furrowed. “It happens all the time.” 

“IDs?” the guard says, hidden behind the safety of their tinted helmet. They can see Soobin and Yeonjun, but the two hybrids cannot see them. 

“Here you go,” Yeonjun says, handing his card over. Soobin does the same. 

The guard hums, taking Yeonjun’s first. Yeonjun stares straight ahead, tense and ready to run the moment something appears off. 

“You’re in a hurry, huh?” the guard says, laughing a bit. Yeonjun releases a nervous chuckle and nods. 

“Yeah,” he says. The guard hums. 

“Yeah, today’s been hectic. Did you see on the news that a black mamba hybrid killed someone yesterday? Fuckin’ hell, man, I didn’t know those even lived in the cities anymore,” they say. Yeonjun laughs again. 

“Yeah, it was pretty scary,” he says. “It’s good to know we have such good security over here, though.” 

The guard snorts, handing Yeonjun’s ID back and taking a look at Soobin’s. The panther hybrid forces his nails to remain sheathed, his heart thundering in his chest. 

“We actually upgraded it because of yesterday,” the guard says. Yeonjun hums. “Fast, right?” 

“Very,” Yeonjun says. 

“Your buddy doesn’t talk much, huh?” the guard says. 

“He doesn’t speak English,” Yeonjun blurts. He nudges Soobin with his foot. “He, uh, just moved here from Korea.” 

He elbows Soobin. 

_ “Say something in Korean!” _

Soobin fakes a smile at the guard, waving. 

_ “Hello!” _ he chirps. Yeonjun pats his arm. 

“Yep, he just moved here. He’s hoping to improve his English over here in the states and all,” he says, nodding at the ID held in the guard’s hand. The guard nods back, handing the card to them. 

“Well, uh, enjoy your stay, I guess!” the guard says, waving as Yeonjun smiles brightly and drives off. 

“Americans,” he says, scowling. “They’re awful, aren’t they?”

Soobin snorts. 

“Tell me about it,” he says as they continue driving. 

They get to some sort of shopping plaza not long after. Soobin instinctively grabs Yeonjun’s hand once they’re both out of the car, squeezing it to give himself comfort. Yeonjun moves a little closer so their shoulders are touching, then they begin to walk. 

“Does it look far?” he says, leaning over Yeonjun’s shoulder. The other male hums, shrugging as he shoves the little map into his pocket. 

“Who knows? Wanna look around?” he says. 

“Are - didn’t Jin-Hyung say-”

“He knows we’ll be gone for a long time, it always happens when he sends us out to do little things like this,” Yeonjun says, shrugging. “He has a rotation of who goes, so we can all get to be outside for a good amount of time.” He grimaces. “Those of us without jobs at least.”

Soobin hums, nodding. 

“Okay,” he says. He shrugs. “Why not?” 

Yeonjun, since the day they met, has always been a bubbly, likable person. He talks a lot, but Soobin doesn’t mind at all. He’s happy to listen to whatever’s on Yeonjun’s mind, adding his own input whenever he thinks it to be necessary. Other than that, though, he walks quietly, nodding along as Yeonjun continues to talk.

“How do you like the shelter so far?” Yeonjun says, turning to him. Soobin shrugs. 

“It’s nice,” he says. “Everyone’s nice. I mean, Chan-Hyung and Felix’s drama is pretty funny too, and so is Beomgyu’s crush on Taehyun.” He makes a face. “But Seungmin and Changbin-Hyung’s PDA is nasty as hell. So is Jeongguk-Hyung and Taehyung-Hyung’s.”

“What are your thoughts on Huening and Hobi-Hyung?” Yeonjun says as they walk. Soobin looks at him curiously. 

“What about them?” he says. “Are - are they  _ dating _ ?” 

Yeonjun snorts. 

“Yeah,” he says. “But they started, like, two months ago. So it was a little before you came, though they still share a room because of Huening's nightmares.” 

“He has nightmares? About what?” 

Yeonjun shrugs. 

“Only Hobi-Hyung, Jin-Hyung, and Namjoon-Hyung know,” he says. “He doesn’t like talking about them. They’re a pretty touchy subject.”

“Oh,” Soobin says. “Well-”

“Hey, isn’t - that’s a hybrid,” Yeonjun says, pointing at a small figure. Soobin frowns, looking around until he sees the person Yeonjun’s pointing at. 

“Huh. Yeah, they are,” he says. Yeonjun frowns. 

“I think - isn’t he the one who was on TV recently? The - damn, what was it?” He snaps his fingers, biting his lower lip. “Wait, I know it, but . . . yeah! That’s that designer’s little pet!” 

“He’ll hear you!” Soobin hisses. Yeonjun claps his hands over his mouth as he looks over to the cat hybrid, his eyes wide. 

“We should follow him,” he whispers.

“What?! No!” 

Yeonjun shakes his head. 

“No, I wanna know where he’s going. Also, we should make sure nothing happens to him, you know? He’s probably already suffered enough as that bastard’s assistant,” Yeonjun says. Soobin hums, looking in his direction. 

“Well, I mean . . . don’t we still-”

“We’ll get them on the way back, now come on!” Yeonjun says. He grabs Soobin by the wrist and drags him in the direction of the hybrid. 

They are both, thankfully, predators whose instincts instruct them to keep quiet and how to do so. It comes naturally to both of them, so they don’t have to worry about the cat hybrid seeing them. 

He is, for one, very small. This, unfortunately, makes him rather easy to lose, and Yeonjun and Soobin find themselves unable to spot him upon several occasions. But he always turns up  _ somewhere _ , and then they’re back to following him in the least-creepy way imaginable. 

They stop in front of a shop that sells tobacco products. Hongjoong goes inside, his head bowed, and he makes a beeline for a back shelf, tail swishing behind him. 

“Are we going in?” Soobin says. 

“This is the place,” Yeonjun says back. He shrugs. “Well, then? After you, Mr. Choi.” 

Soobin snorts and shakes his head, and then he goes in.

The first thing he notices is, primarily, the  _ smell _ . It’s thick and Soobin is quick to decide that he hates it, though he has a feeling it wouldn’t bode well with anyone if he tried covering his nose. So, he and Yeonjun head over to the cashier, shifting about and trying not to make their discomfort too obvious, especially to the small cat hybrid hidden in the back of the shop. 

“Uh, excuse me?” Soobin says. The cashier arches an eyebrow at them. 

“How may I help you?” she says boredly, not even looking at them. 

“Do you happen to know - I mean, if you have them, but do you happen to know where the Sobraine black Russians are?” Soobin says. The woman looks up at them, arching an eyebrow. 

“Follow me,” she says. She gets up from her seat and walks over to the back, right to where the cat hybrid is. When he hears them, his ears twitching, he jumps back, his eyes wide. Soobin, accidentally and purely by coincidence, locks eyes with him. The cat hybrid stares back, clutching the little box to his chest, and Soobin then notices the label. It’s the same box they’re looking for. 

“You - you can take these,” the cat hybrid stammers when he notices Soobin looking at the box. He hands them over, folding his hands quickly. “I - it’s not a problem.” 

The cashier doesn’t even acknowledge him as she heads back to the table and rings Soobin and Yeonjun up. The cat hybrid comes and stands behind them, staring at the ground. 

“Wait for him to leave,” Yeonjun whispers as they exit. Soobin nods, looking over his shoulder. The cat hybrid hands the cashier his ID and continues to focus on his shoes, refusing to even try and look at the human as he bows his head and thanks her before walking out. He moves surprisingly quickly for someone with such short legs. 

“Now!” Yeonjun whispers. They begin following him, though, this time around, the cat hybrid can sense them. It’s clear from the telltale flick of his tail and twitch of his ears as he speeds up, turning to look over his shoulder every so often. He seems to know that calling out will do nothing but make it worse for him and easier for them, so he simply walks quickly and takes constant, jarring turns. 

“Let’s split up,” Yeonjun says. 

“Are we trying to catch him or something? Stage a kidnapping?” 

Yeonjun shrugs, not offering any further explanation as he moves away. The cat hybrid is now kept between them and he’s growing more and more nervous with each passing second. Soobin is too because he kind of has no idea what he’s doing or why they’re trying to catch this guy. 

Finally, though, they corner him in an alley. The hybrid is shaking in place, his eyes wide and pleading. 

“Pl-please don’t hurt me!” he stammers, his fur and hair puffed up. It makes him look a bit ridiculous, but, with how scared he seems, it’s a bit impossible to laugh. 

“We don’t want to hurt you,” Yeonjun says. “We just want-”

“Here - here’s m-my ID,” he says. His hand is shaking so much that the thin little card falls from his fingers and lands with a clatter. “I swear that I’m not - that I’m legal. I have - I’m claimed, you can - you can see on the card.”

Soobin bends down to pick up the card, keeping an eye on the hybrid. It says his name is Hongjoong. 

“Hey, Hongjoong, right?” he says. The cat hybrid nods slowly, still staring fearfully at him. “Yeah, I’m Soobin. Nice to meet you.” He holds his hand out and Hongjoong shakes his head, shutting his eyes. 

“J-just get on with it,” he whispers. Soobin and Yeonjun look at each other. Soobin doesn’t know what he means, but, or so he thinks, Yeonjun does. His expression is sad as he takes a few steps closer.

“Hongjoong-” 

“Don’t come any closer!” he cries, holding his hands up as his claws shoot out. They’re small but still rather sharp, though, compared to Soobin, they look like they’re more for decoration or aesthetic than anything else. 

Of course, though, because Hongjoong is a hybrid unsheathing his claws in front of a human, someone sees and someone (maybe the same person, though Soobin can’t be sure) calls the authorities because Hongjoong also doesn’t have a human chaperone.

“No, no, no,” Hongjoong whimpers, tears already making his eyes glassy. “Shit, shit, shit.” He looks at them, and there’s no mistaking the bitterness in his eyes for anything else. 

“I think Chan-Hyung’s coming too,” Yeonjun hisses at him. Soobin would facepalm if not for the cars pulling up and, just as Yeonjun predicted, a tense-looking Chan stepping out of one. Jeongin is with him and he’s clearly confused as he arches an eyebrow at both Soobin and Yeonjun, though Chan just looks even more tired and annoyed. 

“The social worker’s coming soon,” Chan says. He points at Hongjoong. “You. You’re Mr. Park’s assistant, aren’t you?” Hongjoong nods slowly, still tucked into the corner of the alley. Chan releases a heavy sigh. “ _ Fuck _ .” 

Another car pulls up, and, surprise surprise, Hoseok steps out. His hair is pushed back and he’s dressed in a crisp white shirt and matching pants. He looks around and, just like Jeongin, he looks rather surprised to see Yeonjun and Soobin, and maybe even a bit panicked, but then he notices Hongjoong and his shoulders relax as he smiles brightly and walks over. 

“Ah, hello, there,” he says. He holds his hand out. “What’s your name?” 

“H-Hongjoong. Kim. Hongjoong Kim,” Hongjoong says quietly. Hoseok’s smile brightens and he gets ready to say something else, but, before he can, a low hiss interrupts him.

~

Chan did  _ not _ expect to see Yeonjun and Soobin when he got to the so-called “crime scene”. Really, it was just a scared cat hybrid unsheathing his claws, shouldn’t be a problem when plenty of humans have done much worse. But, well, the thing is, since he’s dealing with three rather important people, it suddenly becomes a problem that Chan is currently too tired to deal with. He just wants to go back home and sleep.

But, unfortunately, that’s not an option. Because, instead of taking care of some easily cleaned up case, there’s a black mamba hybrid staring straight at him, black eyes empty of every emotion except for anger. His lips peel away from his teeth, revealing black gums and shiny white teeth. 

_ That’s a murderer, _ Chan thinks, a bit delirious.  _ That hybrid killed someone. _ And then comes,  _ I’m going to have to kill  _ him.

Said hybrid tilts his head curiously as if he can hear Chan’s inner turmoil. He smiles, but it’s much more of a sneer than an expression of joy or something positive. 

“Hello, officer,” he hisses. This time, he actually  _ does _ smile, eyes turning into crescents as he adjusts himself on the fire escape. “Catch me if you can.” 

“All of you, stay here,” Chan says, gesturing at Yeonjun, Soobin, and Hongjoong. “Wait, no, just go, it’s fine, nothing bad happened, just go home or something, I’ve got more important things to worry about.” He turns to Jeongin. “You take the car, I’m going to follow him up the building, yeah?” 

Jeongin nods, turning around and walking toward the car. The black mamba is still looking idly at Chan, drumming his nails on the metal of the fire escape. He watches Chan carefully, and, despite his casual demeanor, the wolf hybrid can see how tense he is. He moves slowly, watching him as he begins to climb. 

However, just as Chan expected, the hybrid leaps away right before Chan can grab him by the ankle. He’s fast, darting quickly over rooftops with practiced ease. Then again, Chan supposes that black mambas are the fastest snakes alive, so there’s no reason why he  _ wouldn’t _ be fast. 

But wolves are also, technically, faster than black mambas (though he’s not sure how that’s going to affect this, but, right now, he’s banking on it). And Chan can tell this because he’s gaining on the snake, chasing after him as the cold, early-winter winds tug at his hair and clothes. He feels himself tensing, getting ready to spring, especially since the weather is taking an obvious toll on the other hybrid. Chan leaps, then, but, just as he’s coming down, the snake hybrid is rolling beneath some sort of structure, disappearing. Chan growls and sniffs the air, looking around with a furrowed brow. He paces around the rooftop, frowning, but the snake hybrid seems to have disappeared. 

_ “Anything?” _ Jeongin’s voice crackles in from the earpiece. 

“Building number . . . uh, hold on a second,” Chan says. He checks his Mini-Tablet and taps on a few things to find the number. “Building number 110237, that’s where he was last seen. I want drones sent over to keep a watch for him, okay?” 

_ “You got. Should I send them over now?” _

“Tell Sky. He’ll get them,” Chan says as he looks around. He sighs when he finds nothing once again. “Dammit.” 

_ “Do you want me to come and pick you up?” _

“Uh, yeah, actually. That’d be great. Thanks,” Chan says. Jeongin chuckles and Chan sighs, sitting down on the roof and looking around. God, he’s amazed that the press has yet to call him up and demand an explanation for the murder. It’s been a few days since it happened - possibly even a week - so the family of the victim shoudl’ve been compensated. Possibly paid extra to keep secret, as well as the people there. Then again, that’s not exactly Chan’s jurisdiction of work, so he wouldn’t know. The “silencing” is given to the oh-so creatively named Silencers, whose job is to make sure everything that those in power want under the wraps is kept that way. Chan is both a figurehead and an actual working figure, taking care of hybrids. They’re lucky for Seokjin’s friends in high places, as they’re the ones who help them get rescues. 

When Jeongin arrives, they don’t talk. It’s too risky, especially now. Chan has yet to take his earpiece to Yoongi for him to tinker with it, and they could also be mic-ed in other places. For now, it’s best to remain silent. 

“What about the security footage we found on our missing person?” Chan says as he enters the station. He can see his entire pack and, for a moment, the sight soothes him. Felix is sitting quietly at a table, working away with an adorable little pout, and Hyunjin is walking around with a tablet, frowning down at it. Changbin is looking at a map and talking with Seungmin, though Minho would usually be there. Jisung would probably be sitting on Felix’s desk, chatting about whatever they’re looking into and offering advice. 

_ Well, _ Chan thinks,  _ it’s not exactly the entire pack. _

He sighs, shaking his head as he’s handed a thin screen. 

“We’ve somewhat gotten through to it, though there’s not much,” Seungmin says. He frowns. “I think we’ve found a lead, though.” 

“What?” Chan says. Felix beckons him over to the computer. “Where? Who are they? Can we contact them?” 

“The last person to see him would’ve been . . . here,” Felix says. He’s already got the footage pulled up on his screen and he pauses it. The clock says that it’s 1:30 in the morning, the numbers blaring on the screen. Chan frowns as Felix zooms in, pausing as two people appear. One of them is most definitely Woojin. Chan can feel Felix tense beside him and he reaches over to rest a steady hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. The cat hybrid hums and presses closer, continuing to zoom in, but this time on the other figure. 

“You think you can identify him?” Chan says. Felix hums, nodding. 

“Yeah,” he says. He frowns, leaning forward and squinting. “That’s a dog hybrid, for starters.” 

“Plenty helpful considering the city’s crawling with them,” someone says. Chan feels himself go rigid but Felix nudges him and shakes his head. He looks toward Seungmin and Changbin, indicating that he should probably check on them. 

“I’ll give you as much information as I can when the day ends, Chief,” Felix says. Chan nods and turns to walk toward the two dog hybrids, both of which have quieted their voices. 

“Hey,” he says. Seungmin, at first, looks surprised, but then his expression melts into a smile. Changbin, on the other hand, keeps his face blank as he crosses his arms over his chest and looks to the side, avoiding eye contact with Chan.

“We’ve found a few places where we think the snake hybrid could be,” Seungmin says. “I had Ian look into the databases to try and find him or his companion, but it’d be better if we had a DNA sample. Scales or hair, either of them works, though so would the venom.” 

Chan snorts. 

“I don’t think I’ll be getting  _ that _ from him,” he says. “I mean, not unless I’m bitten.” 

Changbin chuckles and shrugs. 

“Well, just an FYI, I guess,” he says. He looks to Seungmin. “With this guy, we’re just hoping we can find him and get him into custody.” 

“The fox hybrid who was with him - what about the substance he was carrying? I know he was intoxicated, but-”

“No one knows, though my money’s on catnip,” Seungmin says, shrugging. “There’s been an influx in how much is coming in and being sold.”

“Do you have any orders from the higher-ups? What’s their verdict on these two?” Hyunjin says as he walks by, stopping to look at the map. Chan frowns and shakes his head. 

“Not yet,” he says. “I’ll tell you if I can, but, for now, we’re just focused on catching these guys.”  _ And, I guess, bringing them to Seonghwa, but I can cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I’m perfectly happy to focus on these two rather important issues at a time. _

“Sir, yes, sir!” Hyunjin says, doing a playful salute. Chan snorts and shakes his head, then he turns to Jeongin. The boy is working quietly, typing away on his computer as he supposedly looks for the snake and fox hybrids. 

“Got anything yet?” he says, bending down to look at the screen.

“Uh . . . I found the building and I’ve checked the people living there, but there’s only one hybrid,” he says. He points to the picture and Chan wants to slam his head against the table when he sees that it’s Hongjoong. “And it’s Mr. Park’s assistant.” 

“Surprised that he’s not living up there with him,” one of the other officers says. Chan hums. They don’t usually have - well, they don’t usually have actual  _ humans _ in here, though, because of Jisung and Minho’s absence, they’ve been given two people to “sub-in” for them. Chan wishes he could’ve brought in more hybrids, especially since Yeonjun and Beomgyu and Hueningkai hardly ever get out, but it’d be rather out of character for him to suddenly ask for something else from his superiors. So he agreed and took them in quietly. 

The others, of course, have not been very enthusiastic about it. It was much easier to focus on the tasks at hand - from both their superiors and the rebellion - without the two humans (whose names Chan can’t possibly be expected to remember, especially right now) making their rather prejudiced comments. But, well, Chan supposes that this is the real world, and they all have to get used to it sooner or later. 

(Though hopefully, if this rebellion thing works out, they won’t have to worry about it for much longer. Of course, it’s going to be hard to re-adjust, but Chan would be happy to do it. He doesn’t want to live in a world where he has to hide himself and his identity for the sake of his safety.)

Chan’s day is - at least, after the call early concerning not one, not two, but  _ three _ hybrids, though two of them were disguised, and with the snake hybrid - uneventful. Or, well, he thinks it is until-

“Chief, I think I’ve found the guy who saw him on the footage,” Felix calls and Chan prays he doesn’t seem  _ too _ eager as he rushes over. 

“Who? Do we know him? Can we contact him? Is he nearby?” he says. “Do you know where he is?” 

“His name is Mingi Song,” Felix says, pulling up the profile. “English name is Mitchell. Born on August 9th, ‘99. He’s a mixed breed, though it says here that his father was a German Shepherd. Huh. He looks it.” Felix scrolls through the ID page, frowning and leaning forward with Chan. “Doesn’t have an owner but he lives with his boyfriend, Yunho Jeong, in building . . . uh, it looks - oh, yeah, it’s 613347. Um-”

“District H-12?” Chan says. Felix hums, nodding. 

“Yep. He’s claimed by Seonghwa Park, from  _ VIPER _ . It says here that he works as a secretary.” He looks up at Chan. “Do you think you can go and get an interview with him?” 

Chan sighs heavily, weighing his options (or, perhaps, his lack thereof). 

Option one: he calls Mingi and asks to speak to him after somehow negotiating with Seonghwa. The problem, of course, is Seonghwa himself, and that he would be an absolute  _ nightmare _ to put up with, especially if he knew he had something Chan wanted. 

_ Is there even another option, though? _ Chan thinks. He sighs, shaking his head.  _ Nope, not exactly _ . 

“Can you call Mr. Park, or, even better, Mr. Song? I’d prefer to just go to the apartment to talk to him, though I don’t think he’d feel comfortable if I did. Just try and get a hold of one of them, yeah?” 

Felix nods, smiling gently at Chan. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he says sweetly. Chan nods, trying to keep from melting right on the spot. 

“Yeah,” he says, smiling a bit more than he would for anyone else, “thanks, Felix.” 

The grin Felix gives him makes the day a whole lot better and Chan may or may not have a little spring in his step for the rest of the day. 

However, he still hates returning to his cold, empty apartment. It is, both fortunately and unfortunately, government-issued, meaning that everything is in tip-top shape as well as being totally disconnected from any sort of humanity or personality whatsoever. Chan has, perhaps, one or two pictures, though they’re all people who do not, technically, exist outside of Yoongi’s computer. He’s perfected the art of rendering scarily realistic people, so that’s how he’s made pictures of them for Chan to have an imaginary family. He simply says that they’re back in Australia when asked about them, though, thankfully, most people seem content to let him be alone. 

Chan sighs and shakes his head, walking toward his bedroom. He grabs a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt along with some underwear. The shower water is, as always, the perfect temperature, though Chan can’t find it in himself to be appreciative. He simply shakes his head with a heavy sigh and heads to the kitchen, making himself a ramen to eat. He doesn’t like it, though he knows he should be eating more. 

Slowly, Chan drags himself to bed and turns the lights out, curling up on the mattress with a sigh. He shuts his eyes and hugs himself, trying to go to sleep. And, somehow, he manages to convince himself that he’s doing a pretty good job, but that only works until a soft buzzing sound comes from his bedside table. 

Chan lifts his head, a bit tired, and looks around. His eyes are drooping but he still manages to find his little BluScreen buzzing away on the table. He pinks it up and winces at the light that comes from it, though he picks up the call anyway. 

Immediately, Felix’s face lights the screen up. He’s frowning, his brow furrowed and lips pouted, and Chan’s heart flutters at the sight. 

“Lix?” he says. Felix hums. 

“Huh?” 

“Lix, did you mean to Face-Call me?” he says. Out of all of them, Felix has always struggled the most with technology, though Chan finds it makes him even more endearing. 

“Oh!” Felix chirps as if he’s just then noticed Chan’s face on the screen. “Yes, I did! Can you see me, Hyung?” He gets really close to the camera, putting his left eye up to it. Chan snorts, smiling fondly. 

“Yeah,” he says. He reaches for the lamp on his desk and turns it on. “What about you? Do you see me, Lix?” 

Felix looks very pleased with himself as he smiles and nods, moving back from the camera to grin at Chan. 

“Hey, Hyung,” he says then, tail flicking about behind him. From what Chan can see, he appears to be in the feline dorm, probably in bed. What makes him a little curious, though, is that it doesn’t look like Felix is in his own room, since Chan is pretty sure he has a few more cat toys. 

“Where are you right now, Lixie?” Chan says as he leans back against the pillows behind him. Felix turns around and giggles. 

“I’m in your room,” he stage-whispers, looking mischievous. Chan snorts and shakes his head, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. 

“Don’t steal any more of my hoodies,” he whines, pretending to be annoyed. Felix laughs, rolling onto his back and taking the camera with him. His hair, soft and blond and so pretty and making Chan wish he could run his hands through it, falls around his face, looking a bit like a halo. His freckles are countless stars on his cheeks and Chan wishes he could count them all. He knows Felix is covered in a myriad of freckles, and that they’re not just on his face. 

“I won’t make any promises,” Felix says, startling Chan out of his fixation with his freckles. He smiles, shifting so he’s sitting up. “I’m wearing one right now, actually.” 

Lo and behold, that’s one of Chan’s sweatshirts. It’s a bright red with white font, old and vintage from some university that people probably don’t go to anymore. The white letters and numbers are tattered with age, worn down from their many years of being passed around. It’s still clear, though, that they’re from some sort of swim team - Chan doesn’t know which one, but he can tell that it’s for swimming, something he’s always loved and enjoyed. 

“It looks nice,” he blurts before he can stop himself. Felix giggles, a pretty red dusting his cheeks. 

“Thanks,” he says. He stands up and walks over to the mirror, looking around. Other than the sweatshirt, he’s wearing a pretty pair of what look to be lace sleep shorts. They’re black and stark against Felix’s dark, freckled complexion, and Chan has to pinch himself to keep from drooling. 

“I think I’m stealing this one for good,” Felix says. Chan snorts and shakes his head. 

“Sure, sure, okay,” he says. He shifts and takes his BluScreen with him. “You owe me, though.” 

Felix hums half-heartedly and then rushes to the bed, jumping onto it and landing with a little  _ ‘oomph!’ _

“I’ll bake you some brownies or something,” he says. He grins. “Don’t worry, Channie-Hyung, I know how to win your favor.” He winks, but Chan can hardly see that because, in Minho’s or Hyunjin’s or Seungmin’s or Yeonjun’s or Beomgyu’s words, he’s thirsting over Felix. The hybrid doesn’t even seem to realize it. Felix never seems to realize things like this, though - he’s hardly aware of how beautiful he is, how kind he is, how smart he is - just about everything. He’s cognizant of a few things, but he still tends to downplay nearly everything about him. Well, except for his imperfections. 

“Hyungie?” Felix says, waving his hand in front of the camera. “Chris? Did the camera freeze? I can see your tail moving, but-”

“Oh, no, sorry, just spacing out,” Chan says. He smiles at Felix. “What was it?” 

The cat hybrid frowns at him, tilting his head. 

“Hyung,” he says softly, “you’re not planning on falling asleep on me now, are you?” 

Chan snorts and shakes his head but, as he does, he realizes that his eyelids have gotten rather droopy and are much harder to hold up. 

“No, Lix,” he says, his words clipped by a yawn. “I’m fine, go ahead.” 

Felix snorts, shaking his head, and Chan can’t help but be endeared. 

“It’s okay, Hyung,” he says softly, “I know you’re tired. I’ll just bother you when you get home.” 

Chan hums, smiling as he turns the light off. 

“Good - good night, Lixie,” he murmurs. Felix giggles softly. 

“Good night, Channie-Hyung.” 

~

Seonghwa comes into the office and he’s losing it. He’s dressed well, as per usual, but Seonghwa isn’t nearly as pleased with himself. He picks at his buttons and goes constantly to the bathroom to check on his hair, unable to decide between wearing his coat and draping it over his chair. His heels are loud and he lacks some of the grace and ease he usually has, though it’s a minute difference. However, Hongjoong can still see how he’s unable to stop moving around, re-arranging everything on his desk at least six times before he gets up to go to his wine cabinet, mumbling under his breath about needing a drink. 

Yeosang pulls him aside when he goes to the bathroom. 

“Have you been giving him his pills?” he hisses. “Not the fakes, but the actual prescribed ones. Have you been giving them to him?” 

“Yes,” Hongjoong says. “Why? Do they-”

“It’s his OCD,” Yeosang says quietly. He sighs, running a hand through his hair and looking around the hall to make sure no one’s eavesdropping. “He doesn’t want anyone to know, but he hates taking them. Have you seen him take them?” 

Hongjoong frowns, trying to remember. It’s such a small, unnoticeable detail, but-

“No, not really,” he says. Yeosang sighs. “I’m - I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“It’s - it isn’t your fault,” Yeosang says. “He - he’s the one who should be taking care of it, but the man can hardly function outside of the office. He hated the idea of hiring an assistant until someone - his doctor, I think - told him he’d have to or he’d have to go on a break.” 

Hongjoong nods, twiddling his thumbs. 

“I - should I give them to him now?” 

Yeosang frowns. 

“Just give him his regular dose, but can you try and find him a pack of cigarettes? He doesn’t have any today.” 

Hongjoong nods, then he turns and rushes to the bathroom. He’s quick, or so he likes to think, and then he heads to the storage closet. 

Somehow, it’s empty. It’s rather strange to Hongjoong, though, since he’s quite certain that it was full just the other day. But, well, he guesses not, as there isn’t even one box left. 

He’s heading back to the office when he bumps into Seonghwa. The designer’s eyes are a bit cloudy, but, when he stares at Hongjoong, he seems to focus, though only somewhat. It’s the first time Hongjoong’s ever seen his boss with a red face, and he’s guessing it’s because he’s drunk. 

“Cigarettes,” Seonghwa slurs. He fumbles around, hands and fingers uncharacteristically clumsy as he pulls out a wad of cash. “Get me my cigarettes. Sobraine Black Russians, got it?” 

Hongjoong nods. Seonghwa steps aside to allow him space to move and Hongjoong nearly sprints down the hallway. He hears Seonghwa open the bathroom door, though he doesn’t pay any mind to it as he scrambles toward the elevator. Mingi sees him and arches an eyebrow in question. 

“Mr. Park told me to get him some cigarettes,” Hongjoong says. He grabs his inhaler. 

“One of his bad days?” Mingi says, looking through his tablet. Hongjoong nods as he takes a puff, and then another one from his inhaler before shoving it into his pocket. “Damn, I had a feeling he wasn’t taking them. His insults at those interviews were a bit off.”

“He was just as mean as usual, I thought,” Hongjoong says. Mingi snorts. 

“You’ll see the more you get to know him, Hyung,” he says as the doors open. “You’ll see.” And then he gets off on his floor and Hongjoong watches as the doors slide closed, then he heads to the lobby. 

He has no idea how many times he flashes his ID in the time it takes to get to the store. Mingi sends him an address and Hongjoong heads over, walking and keeping his head down. He finds the shop and heads inside, making a beeline toward the back where Mingi said they’d be. 

Of course, though, the kind Seonghwa wants (Mingi told him he’d be able to tell the difference between the types) is on the highest shelf. Hongjoong stands on his tip-toes to get them, tail straightening out behind him for balance as he grabs a box. 

However, three humans walk over, and Hongjoong immediately moves to the corner. He presses his ears against his head and curls his tail around his legs. The cigarettes find themselves pressed to his chest, and Hongjoong finds it a bit ironic that he feels so possessive over them when he has  _ asthma _ of all things. 

_ They’re for Mr. Park, though, _ he thinks. He feels eyes on him.  _ I shouldn’t- _

The taller man is staring at the cigarettes. Hongjoong’s eyes dart to the woman helping him and his friend, then back to him. 

“You - you can take these,” he says, shoving the box toward him.  _ Please don’t hurt me. _ “I - it’s not a problem.” He shuts his eyes and turns his head away, only changing his position once the cigarettes leave his grasp and he knows they’ve returned to the front desk. 

_ I hate that, _ Hongjoong thinks as he grabs another box and then quietly moves to stand behind the two tall men as they’re rung up. He stares at the ground as they leave, ears twitching a bit as he steps up and places the box on the counter, using his free hand to get his ID. The cashier doesn’t even say anything, simply holding her hand out. Hongjoong shakily puts it into her palm and focuses on his feet, trying to even out his breathing. He just has to get back to the building, it won’t be that hard. He could probably use the shuttle if he needed to, it can’t be that bad, right?

Unfortunately, nothing in life is easy, and Hongjoong finds this out when he notices that the two men from the shop are following him. His heart leaps into his throat and he speeds up, ears erect and tail stiff as he moves in strange patterns in attempts to lose them. But the odds are against him - Hongjoong is, for one, much shorter than both of them. Second of all, he’s (probably) the only hybrid in the entire district (it might be an exaggeration, but it’s pretty accurate in Hongjoong’s mind) without an owner. And then, of course, there’s one of him and there are two of them,  _ and _ they’re humans so they can do whatever they want to him without having to face (many) consequences. 

Hongjoong shivers, trying to make himself smaller to better disappear into the crowd. However, no matter what he does it seems, he can still sense them following him. 

He knows he’s messed up when he ducks into an alleyway. But, by now, Hongjoong can only hope that they’ll leave him alone if he gives them what they want (or so he thinks, but he’s heard this story far too many times - pretty little hybrid wandering around a human district without a chaperone gets raped in a back alley or maybe murdered or mugged and then brutally injured. It’s something that’s been ingrained into Hongjoong’s mind since he was old enough to grasp the concept of humans and hybrids.).

“Pl-please don’t hurt me!” he whimpers. His fur is most certainly puffed up right now, tail lashing worriedly between his legs. 

One of the men steps forward. This one has long pink hair tied in a ponytail and he’s rather handsome, just as his companion, but that does nothing to soothe Hongjoong as he whimpers again. 

“We don’t want to hurt you,” he says. “We just want-”

_ Option one: Give them your ID, Hongjoong, you idiot! _

“Here - here’s m-my ID,” he says, his stupid hand shaking so violently that he loses his grip on the card. He doesn’t dare pick it up, though, too paralyzed with fear to do anything more than stand in his little corner and shake. “I swear that I’m not - that I’m legal. I have - I’m claimed, you can - you can see on the card.”

_ Please leave me alone, please leave me alone, please don’t hurt me. _

“Hey, Hongjoong-”  _ Oh, fuckfuckfuck, they know my name now _ “-right?” the other man says. Hongjoong nods slowly, unsure as to whether or not he should close his eyes or keep them open. He chooses to keep an eye on the two men. He wants to at least be able to identify them to warn his friends if he makes it out of here alive. “Yeah, I’m Soobin. Nice to meet you,” he says, holding his hand out as if he has any regard for some normal sort of interaction before he has his way with Hongjoong. Unable to help himself, the cat hybrid shakes his head and shuts his eyes, praying that he doesn’t cry. 

“J-just get on with it,” he says, his voice so quiet even he can hardly hear it. 

They don’t do anything, then the sound of someone taking a couple of steps toward Hongjoong reaches his ears. 

“Hongjoong-”

“Don’t come any closer!” Hongjoong yelps before he can think better of it. His hands shoot out in front of him as if that’ll help at all. They’re both stronger than him, though he at least has his claws. 

_ Fuck, his  _ claws _. He just unsheathed them at two  _ humans _.  _

And, of course, the sound of some sort of authorities arriving can be heard. This time, Hongjoong really  _ does _ cry, and he really hates himself for it. He doesn’t  _ want _ to cry in front of all of these humans, especially not with the authorities on their way to pick him up. 

“No, no, no,” he whispers hoarsely. He wipes his eyes. “Shit shit shit.” And then, before he can think better of it, he looks up at the two humans and glares, anger and humiliation burning together in his chest. 

_ “I think Chan-Hyung’s coming,” _ the pink-haired one whispers to Soobin. He looks ready to slap his companion as two cars pull up. Out steps the Chief of police and some other officer. They’re both roughly the same height, serious and emotionless, though Chief Bang seems to look even more annoyed when he sees Soobin and his friend. The other officer just looks confused.  _ Great _ , they’re associated with the cops. 

“The social worker’s coming soon,” Chief Bang says. Hongjoong hates himself for wanting to cry so much, especially now as the man points at him. “You. You’re Mr. Park’s assistant, aren’t you?” he says. Hongjoong nods.  _ Oh, shit, he remembers me. That’s it, I’m dead. _

_ “Fuck,” _ Chief Bang says. He pinches the bridge of his nose just as a white van pulls up. 

The man who steps out is undeniably attractive. He looks confused when he sees Soobin and his friend, though, so Hongjoong immediately increases his security. And then he sees Hongjoong and smiles so warmly that he thinks he might melt. It’s a very pretty smile in his defense. 

_ Focus, Hongjoong! _ he thinks furiously as the social worker walks over and holds his hand out. 

“Ah, hello there,” he says, and his stupid  _ voice _ is even nice. “What’s your name?” 

“H-Hongjoong. Kim,” Hongjoong says. “Hongjoong Kim.” The man’s smile somehow  _ brightens _ and Hongjoong kind of wishes he had sunglasses, but this man is also probably going to get him killed or  _ something _ along the lines of that, so he has to stay vigilant. He opens his mouth to say something, probably to try and soothe Hongjoong, but a sudden hiss interrupts him. Everyone looks up and then there’s a person staring down at them. Or so Hongjoong thinks until he recognizes him as the black mamba from that eventful day where he was walked home by the spawn of Satan. 

“Hello, officer,” the hybrid says. He kind of looks the tiniest bit like Seonghwa. They’re both fatally attractive people, with thick black hair and dark complexions. Their teeth are similar too, though when the hybrid grins (though it’s much more similar to a snarl), his fangs elongate, long and thin and very deadly. 

“-stay here,” Chief Bang is saying, gesturing to Hongjoong, Soobin, and Soobin’s friend. “Wait, no, just go, it’s fine, nothing bad happened, just go home or something, I’ve got more important things to worry about.” He then looks at the officer who accompanied him and says, “You take the car. I’m going to follow him up the building, yeah?” 

The other man nods before he heads back to the car. Hongjoong watches with wide eyes as Chief Bang begins climbing up the fire escape, something that he’s surprisingly good at. The snake hybrid stares curiously at him, pitch-black eyes full of dangerous mischief. 

However, Hongjoong is  _ not _ , in fact, keen on sitting around to watch. Once both Chief Bang and the hybrid disappear, he bolts, running as fast as he possibly can. He can already feel his lungs burning but Hongjoong is more worried about not getting arrested and returning to work than an asthma attack for some stupid reason. 

But, thankfully, Hongjoong makes it back without any more obstacles. He has to stop by the door as he tries to catch his breath, gasping for air as he rests his hands on his knees. He’s quite aware of how ridiculous he looks, but he’s a bit too light-headed to care as he brings his inhaler to his lips and frantically presses down against the cool metal top. 

“ _ Fuck, _ ” he wheezes, hitting his chest. He looks back over his shoulder and scowls, shaking his head as he walks inside. 

Everyone stops to stare at him as he goes through. Hongjoong tries to ignore the other employees as best as possible, ducking his head down as he rushes toward the elevator. 

Yeosang’s expression of relief when he sees him makes Hongjoong feel like he’s an angel as he heads into his office. The cheetah hybrid seems to melt from how tightly-strung he was, though he still looks a little alarmed as Hongjoong heads into the office. 

He finds that, while he was away, Seonghwa re-organized the entire place. The furniture has been moved, Hongjoong’s things have been re-arranged, and Seonghwa is hunched over his desk, moving his things around. He gets up every so often to adjust the lights and Hongjoong can only watch. Seonghwa changes the brightness of lights three times before going to sit down, but then he has to do it again and it’s clear that he hates doing it. He looks humiliated by it, to say the least. 

“Mr. Park?” Hongjoong says quietly as Seonghwa continues to move his pens. “I have your cigarettes.” 

Seonghwa jerks and then he looks up with wide eyes. He rushes toward Hongjoong and snatches the box away, fumbling a bit before pulling out a cigarette. Hongjoong grabs his lighter and Seonghwa holds the stick out, lighting the butt before inhaling slowly. 

“Bring my meds, okay?” he says. Hongjoong nods quickly and then rushes out of the room, gasping once he’s out of the office. 

“He’s smoking again?” Yeosang says, rising from his seat when Hongjoong appears. He nods, coughing and grabbing his inhaler. He heads out to the breakroom and leans against the wall, sighing as he tries to calm himself down. 

Mingi comes in as he’s trying to wipe his tears away. The dog hybrid presses his face against the back of Hongjoong’s neck, whimpering softly. Hongjoong sniffles and furiously wipes at his eyes, though he still can reach around to stroke Mingi’s ears. 

“I know,” Mingi whispers, nuzzling him. “I know it’s hard, I know it sucks. I know.” 

Hongjoong sniffles again and nods before he sighs, his shoulders slumping. 

“I should probably get back,” he says hoarsely and Mingi hums. “I have to give him his meds.” 

Mingi smiles gently as he pulls away, reaching up to pat the top of Hongjoong’s head. 

“Okay, Hyung,” he says softly. “I’ll see you at lunch, yeah?” 

Hongjoong nods and wipes his eyes, smiling. 

“Yeah, see you,” he says before he heads out. He walks slowly, trying to pace himself, and then he opens the doors to the office. Seonghwa’s back is to him, a long, thin line of smoke coming from in front of him. He’s staring out at the skyline, his shoulders relaxed. It’s like he’s looking out some piece of land that he owns. 

“Hongjoong,” he says, not bothering to turn around, “do you know  _ why _ exactly I live this way?”


	5. Unpleasant Questions and Equally Unpleasant Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong learns more about Seonghwa, Chan struggles with his relationship with Felix and may or may not break several traffic laws, and Soobin may or may not end up going to a police station because of the last person who saw Woojin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng halfway through yee

_ “Do you know  _ why _ exactly I live this way?” _

_ Kind of a weird question, _ Hongjoong thinks,  _ but okay. _

“Um . . . no?” he says, trying to make it seem like he doesn’t think his boss is totally crazy or that he’s being disrespectful. Seonghwa snorts, holding his cigarette out and exhaling a puff of smoke. It snakes around the office, long and thin and mesmerizingly graceful. For reasons he can’t explain, it reminds Hongjoong of Seonghwa. Strange and dangerous and even a bit annoying, but still startlingly graceful and weirdly beautiful. Well. Seonghwa isn’t ‘weirdly’ beautiful, he’s much more of a lethal sort of beautiful. Sharp features and large, cold eyes full of spite, surgically-sharpened teeth promising pain and retorts that are just as sharp. His lips are pink and plush and rather kissable, though Hongjoong thinks he’s much more likely to be mauled by his boss rather than kissed. 

“Are you listening to me, kitty?” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong jerks, fear stealing the color from his skin as he fearfully shakes his head no. 

“N-no, sir,” he says. Seonghwa laughs a bit. 

“Goodness,” he says. He laughs a bit. “Well, I suppose I didn’t say anything of much importance to you or me, frankly, and I can always start over.” Hongjoong can  _ see _ the smirk on his face. “After all, I have as much time with you as I want, no?” 

Hongjoong shifts in place, shrugging. Yup, his boss definitely has a screw loose. 

“You come from Korea, don’t you?” Seonghwa says. 

“Yes, sir,” Hongjoong says. Kind of a weird question, but okay. It’s definitely not the worst thing he could ask, that’s for sure. 

“Me too,” Seonghwa says. He sighs, returning his cigarette to his lips. “Fuckin’ hated my shitty parents. Hope they rot in hell.” He laughs. “Did you know they set up an arranged marriage without my knowing? It was because my asshole of a classmate told them I was making out with a boy under the bleachers.” Seonghwa laughs again, fuming quietly. It’s interesting how he does it - while it’s obvious that he’s furious, one can still tell that he’s grinning brightly at the window, though it’s not like he’s trying to hide his anger. It makes him even scarier. “I stole my passport out of my mom’s purse and took her money and then got on the plane. Just had to use her phone to get tickets here.” 

_ I couldn’t do that. I’d get killed or kidnapped if I tried it, _ Hongjoong thinks. He’s tempted to cross his arms and say, “Why should I care?” 

Seonghwa, though, doesn’t seem to sense his disinterest. 

“It’s funny, really, because they knew that I was talented and they couldn’t bear to kick me out so,” he shrugs, “they decided they’d have someone fuck the gay out of me, huh? I wonder if they ever considered shock therapy.” 

_ Why do I need to know any of this? Great, your life sucked and you’re now an asshole. Next? _

“They called me the other day, actually. Just last week,” Seonghwa says. He’s tensing around the shoulders, clenching his fist behind him. “Fuckin’ assholes.” 

Hongjoong still doesn’t say anything. 

“They were asking for money, who would’ve thought? Shameless, they are.” He sighs angrily. “ _ They’re _ not the ones who got me here, of course not. I’m the one who fought my way through this shithole of a country and all of its prejudices.  _ I’m _ the one who built this whole damn empire.” He shrugs. “But people are stupid, aren’t they?” Hongjoong can see him grin through his reflection, plump lips spreading to reveal perfect, pristine, and dangerously sharp teeth. 

“Point is, you’ve been given an opportunity, kitty,” Seonghwa says, finally turning to look over his shoulder. He taps the end of his cigarette off, and Hongjoong’s eyes follow the ashes to the floor. “Don’t fuck it up.”

Hongjoong can hardly nod from how Seonghwa scrutinizes him. He’s smiling - still - as he walks to his desk and sits down, pulling out his laptop. Hongjoong continues to stare at him, rather dumbfounded by . . . just by Seonghwa. 

“Well?” the man says, startling the cat hybrid. “What are you doing just standing there? Get back to work!” 

Hongjoong scrambles back to his desk and opens his computer to look at the files sent to him by Yeosang. 

The rest of the day passes relatively quickly. It’s much easier for Seonghwa now that he’s got his cigarettes, though he burns through them rather quickly. He takes to stopping for wine or tea in between cigarettes, sitting back in his seat as he gets drunk. Hongjoong has to take constant bathroom breaks to clear his head and use his inhaler, though, for some reason, he still can’t possibly fathom saying something to his boss. Part of his brain argues that it’s perfectly fine and that he doesn’t mind taking the breaks since it’s nice to get away from Seonghwa and his strange . . . energy, he supposes, for lack of a better term, though Hongjoong also knows that it isn’t healthy. He’s quite certain that his parents and doctor would agree. 

_ It can’t be too much trouble to ask, can it? _ he thinks as he walks home. He adjusts his bag and pulls his coat closer to him.  _ I mean, he’s one of the richest people in the world, isn’t he? Installing a few ventilators or a smoking area shouldn’t be too hard, right? _

_ Ah, but it’s also Seonghwa Park, someone who is known for being a Bitch with a capital ‘B’, so I guess it can.  _

The thought makes Hongjoong snort a bit as he shivers and walks toward the train station. He looks for the emptiest car, frowning when all of them appear to be chock-full of people. Sighing, Hongjoong stands alone, looking down at his BluScreen to try and somehow blend in with the humans that clog the car. His ears lower themselves to press against his head as his tail snakes around his waist to avoid being grabbed, and Hongjoong tucks his shoulders in and presses himself deeper into the little corner of the car with a soft, barely-audible sigh. 

Of course, even these precautions don’t do anything. The first attack comes as an offhand comment, called out over the dull hum of the train. 

“Hey, pretty kitty, what else are those hands good for?” 

Hongjoong hates how his ears twitch up toward the sound. He bites back a retort and tries to make himself even smaller, glaring at his screen in a weak attempt to seem like he didn’t hear. But, of course, they all know he heard because Hongjoong’s body will always be a mark against him and will always be a disadvantage. So, instead of fighting back, he simply sighs again and prays to be left alone. 

“Wanna come to my place?” someone says. There’s a chuckle that seems to reverberate through the rest of the passengers and Hongjoong shuts his eyes, digging his nails into his palms to keep his claws from unsheathing.  _ Stay calm, just stay calm, it’s almost your stop. _

A hand grabs his thigh next, and Hongjoong can’t withhold his little squeak of surprise. More laughter, but it’s louder and more humiliating this time as Hongjoong forces himself to keep from biting and clawing all of these strangers to shreds. His heartbeat is loud in his ears and Hongjoong wishes he was somewhere else. Anywhere but this stupid car that doesn’t understand what leaving a hybrid alone is. 

Thankfully, Hongjoong’s stop is next. Someone grabs his ass as he rushes out, but it’s hardly anything and Hongjoong can get over it. He’s dealt with worse before, that’s for sure.

It feels good to shower. Hongjoong sees it as a way to clean the feeling of unwanted hands and stares off of his body. He runs his fingers through his hair, claws dragging gently over his scalp, and releases a soft sigh that’s drowned out by the sound of the shower. When he finishes, he prances around his now-heated apartment in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and an oversized shirt stolen from Mingi’s closet. He eats dinner and stares out the window at his district, sighing. 

For some strange reason, there are flames in the pit of his stomach as he lies down. Hongjoong has heard that depression and loneliness make you horny, so maybe that’s why.  _ It’s a reasonable explanation, _ he thinks as he rolls onto his back and stares at his ceiling. He shivers a bit, slowly trailing a hand down his chest. 

_ “Now, now, kitty,” _ a voice - one Hongjoong knows all too well - breaks through the haze in his mind. Before he can stop himself, the cat hybrid releases a quiet whimper. His hand continues traveling down, further and further to the heat between his legs. 

_ “Pretty little thing, aren’t you? So pretty and little everywhere, hm?” _

Hongjoong chokes and shuts his eyes, stuffing his free hand into his mouth. He mewls quietly into his bedroom, moving his hand in slow circular motions over his shirt. It’s shameful, really, to be imagining his boss of all people over him, caging him in and tilting his head curiously. Hongjoong whimpers again, sniffling as his teeth press against his skin, threatening to break it. He is, embarrassingly enough, not as ashamed of it as he should be. 

The first touch makes flames dance over his skin as a storm brews in his stomach. He wonders what it’d be like to have Seonghwa’s nails pressing against his skin, long fingers working deftly over him. His own hands are much smaller, but it’ll have to do. Hongjoong sniffles and pants a bit, keeping his eyes squeezed shut as images of his boss (he’s still not sure when this happened, but Seonghwa is super fucking hot and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t envision him while masturbating before bed) paint the insides of his eyelids. His breath is coming in short breaths, soft, quiet moans and whimpers interwoven in between them. Hongjoong presses his hand down and cants his hips forward, shivering and shaking in bed and trying to muffle whatever sounds he makes. He (still embarrassed, just too tired to keep saying it) continues to move and rut against his hand until his hips finally stutter once, twice, and then his pants feel warm and wet and all Hongjoong can think about is that he spends a majority of his time around the man he just got off to. Wow. That’s just great, isn’t it?

It does not help one bit that Yeosang and Mingi - the two people he’s closest with - are both very perceptive. When Seonghwa calls Hongjoong’s name, the cat hybrid’s cheeks go up in flames as he stumbles after him, and Yeosang does nothing to hide his snicker. 

“Is something wrong today, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa says as he sits at his sewing machine. The doors to the office are locked, something Seonghwa had insisted upon. Yeosang told him that he preferred to work at night since no one goes into his office (Seonghwa has a very particular way of cleaning it), though, on the rare occasions that he does decide to make things during the day, he always locks the office doors so people may only go out but never in. 

“N-no, sir,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa hums, the whirring of the machine continuing to fill the space. Hongjoong opens the files sent to him by Yeosang and looks through them, checking measurements and trying to visualize things in his head. It’s easy to fall back into silence, allowing the work to swallow him up. It’s definitely preferable to thinking about how he got off to the thought of the man just a few feet away from him less than 24 hours ago. 

The day goes smoothly from then on out. Hongjoong and Seonghwa are both perfectly fine with sitting in silence, though Seonghwa will get up every so often to pour himself a glass of wine or a cup of tea, though he remains sitting down to smoke. Hongjoong has to go to the bathroom to use his inhaler but, other than that, everything is pretty okay in his opinion. The sound of the sewing machine is relaxing and Seonghwa ends up putting a record on to fill the quiet when he hand-stitches things. Hongjoong, more times than he’d like to admit, finds his eyes straying to the man as he works, brow furrowed as his teeth dig into the plump swell of his lower lip. Seonghwa, thankfully, never seems to notice (though he’s probably become immune to people staring at him by now), though Hongjoong still looks away before he can get too far. It’s better that way. He doesn’t think he’d be able to handle the humiliation if Seonghwa caught him staring. 

“Gosh, did something happen between you two?” Yeosang says as they sit together in the breakroom. Hongjoong’s cheeks go bright red as he buries his face in his hands, squealing quietly. Despite the fact that he remains silent (well, except for his little squeal), Yeosang and Mingi both seem to laugh as if he’d answered. 

“ _ Please _ don’t tell me you two hooked up,” Yeosang says. Mingi cackles as Hongjoong somehow turns even redder, though he at least manages to look up as he tries to muster a glare. 

“We didn’t!” he cries. “He - I went home at normal time yesterday! I stayed home!”

“How much until we hear them fuck in the office?” Mingi leans over to stage-whisper to Yeosang. Hongjoong groans and slams his head against the table, trying not to scream especially since he just heard the door open. 

“Hongjoong-Hyung? Is that you?” someone says as Mingi squeals and hurls himself out of his seat. Yunho scrambles to catch him while simultaneously trying to protect the large basket in his hands. Mingi wraps his arms and legs around his boyfriend as the other dog hybrid tries to keep his balance. 

“Yunho?” Hongjoong says. He frowns, tilting his head as he gets up. “What are you doing here?” 

“Off, Mingi,” Yunho scolds. The younger male whimpers and lowers his ears to his head. Yunho sighs and pats his hair, kissing his cheek. 

“Just came to deliver this thank-you gift basket,” he says. He places it on a nearby table and sighs. “It’s for Mr. Park.” 

“Oh, you’re an  _ angel _ ,” Mingi says, grabbing the basket. Hongjoong can see a bottle of wine, chocolates, something that looks like tea, and a few other things. “I was hoping to give it to him soon. It’s been a year since the surgery, too!” 

Yunho laughs, hugging him and smiling as he lifts him into the air. 

“It has, hasn’t it?” he says. Mingi nods, looking like the definition of lovesick as he stares at his boyfriends. Yeosang gags and Hongjoong can’t help laughing a bit as he watches them. 

“He paid for the surgery,” Yunho says to Hongjoong. 

“Both of them,” Mingi says. Yunho hums and leans his head on his shoulder while Hongjoong frowns. 

“Both of them? What happened? I knew about your back-”

“I got chest surgery!” Mingi chirps excitedly, grinning. He covers his mouth and looks around to make sure no one’s listening. 

“It’s the hybrid room, it’s fine,” Yeosang says. Yunho giggles and butts his head against his boyfriend’s chin. 

“I didn’t know you were trans,” Hongjoong says. Mingi shrugs. 

“It never came up,” he says. He grins, then. “It’s nice to not have to wear a binder anymore.” 

Hongjoong nods. The conversation picks up, then, when Yeosang says he has to get something for Seonghwa as well. They chat about gifts and things he’d like, though it’s a bit difficult since no one really knows. 

“Well,  _ someone _ here might, but I don’t know,” Yeosang says, sneaking a glance at Hongjoong. The cat hybrid feels the blood rush to his cheeks and he covers his face with his hands. Yunho tilts his head curiously. 

“Oh! What do you do here, Hyung?” he says. 

“I’m his assistant,” Hongjoong mumbles. 

“Yeah, his ‘assistant’,” Yeosang says, putting air quotes around the word and snickering. 

“What’s he been like so far?” Yunho says, ignoring the implications of Yeosang’s tone. Hongjoong shrugs. 

“He’s . . . pretty scary, that’s for sure,” he says. The other hybrids all nod in agreement. “But, uh, I also think he’s probably got a lot of trauma from his childhood. And he’s a giant weirdo.” 

“He’s nice to you though, right?” Mingi says, tail wagging. Hongjoong shrugs. 

“Yeah, you could say that,” he says. There’s the sound of someone walking down the hall with heels on and Hongjoong’s ears shoot up with everyone else’s as the door opens. 

_ Speak of the devil and he shall appear has never been so true, _ Hongjoong thinks as Seonghwa appears in the doorway.

“Oh. Yunho,” Seonghwa says. He sounds a bit surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Yunho gets up and grabs the gift basket. 

“It’s a thank-you gift,” he says. “You’ve - you’ve really helped Mingi and I a lot and I know this isn’t enough, but we both thought to get you something.”

Seonghwa stares incredulously at the basket in his hands as if he’s been handed a baby rather than a gift. He looks up at Yunho and tilts his head, arching a confused eyebrow. With his heels, he’s an inch or so taller than the golden retriever hybrid, though it still seems like he’s looking up at him. 

“Well . . . thank you, I suppose,” he says. He looks through it. “This was . . . very nice of you two.” 

Yunho shrugs, smiling warmly. 

“It was the least we could do, Mr. Park,” he says. He bows. “Thank you so much. For everything, really.”

Seonghwa nods, though he seems to be a bit dazed by the fact that someone just gave him a gift basket. Then, he turns to Hongjoong. 

“Take this to my office, will you?” he says. Hongjoong grabs the basket and walks out quickly, lowering his head and rushing into the office as the sound of Yunho bidding Mingi and Yeosang goodbye dances in his ears. 

When Seonghwa returns to his office, he pours himself a glass of wine from the bottle gifted to him by Yunho and Mingi. He takes a sip and squishes the side of his face with his knuckles, frowning and furrowing his brow. 

“Kitty?” he says, drawing Hongjoong’s attention away from his work. “Why do you think someone would do that? I said I didn’t need or want compensation for paying for the surgeries, so why did they give me the basket?” 

Hongjoong shifts in his seat, unsure of how to answer. While he doubts that Seonghwa has had much - if any in the first place - coddling, he would’ve thought that he’d have known what gift baskets are in the very least. 

“It’s . . . a gift basket? Do - do you know what that is?” Hongjoong says, trying to sound as not-condescending as possible.

“Oh, I do,” Seonghwa says, still frowning. “I give them out to people - or, well, now it’s just politicians who I need to stay in favor of, but I give them out all the time. I don’t . . . I just . . .” He trails off and looks through the contents again. “This one just feels  _ personalized _ .” 

“Well, you  _ did _ help Mingi a lot,” Hongjoong says. He shrugs. “They just wanted to be nice back.” 

Seonghwa hums, frowning. 

“They even got me new thread,” he says, reaching in and pulling out a spool of indigo thread that catches on the pale lights of the office and shines silver beneath them. “It’s - it’s hand-dyed. That - that’s really hard to get now. And the spool is made of real wood.” He looks mesmerized by it, though Hongjoong can’t blame him. Wood is extremely hard to come by these days because of how the government is trying to repopulate forests and is cutting down the consumption of trees, so they tend to use lab-made substitutes. And most everything is done by machines now, raising the price of anything hand-made. You’d have to really dig to find something like  _ thread _ .

“They’re thanking you for helping them,” Hongjoong says. “It’s just something people do from time to time.” 

Seonghwa hums, nodding as he puts the thread down. 

“Come and pick something out, will you?” he says as he begins to stitch some fabrics together. “I don’t care, I’m not going to use all of this anyway.” 

“Are - are you sure?” Hongjoong says. He doesn’t dare get up. “I - I just would’ve thought - assumed-”

“Come over here and grab something, kitty, I’ve already told you I’m not going to use all of it. Don’t you want to work on designing your own things?” Seonghwa says, not looking up. He sits back, admiring his work and tugging a bit on the fabrics to make sure they’re together. “I’ve been told that you were the top of your class.” 

Hongjoong shifts in place, scratching the back of his neck and shrugging. 

“It - it was just night school,” he mumbles. “It wasn’t - nothing-”

“Do  _ not _ finish that sentence, kitty,” Seonghwa snaps. “Are you telling me that  _ I _ hired the wrong person?” 

“N-no, sir,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa sniffs, scowling. 

“Good. I trust my own judgment more than anything, so don’t even  _ try _ to convince me I was wrong. I hired you for a reason, and it’s not because of what you are.” His scowl deepens. “Stupid media thinking I’m some insecure bastard in need of some ass. They can suck a dick for all I care.” 

Hongjoong stares at his boss, blinking slowly. Then, he gets up and stands at the desk, staring at the basket with the same wide-eyed look Seonghwa had worn when he’d first received it. He probably stands there for too long, though, because Seonghwa looks up at him and arches an eyebrow in question.

“Well?” he says. He waves his hand at the gifts. “Go ahead. You think I care what you pick? Just leave the wine, it’s good wine. Take whatever else you want.” 

Hongjoong doesn’t know what to do. While he thinks it’s a nice thought, he’s not sure how Mingi and Yunho would feel. So, he sifts through the goodies until he finds a small notebook and picks it up, bowing his head at his boss. 

“Thank you, sir,” he says quietly. Seonghwa shrugs, not even bothering to look at him. 

“It’s no problem,” he says. “Run along, now. I think I heard Yeosang saying something about wanting to invite you to dinner anyway.” 

“He said  _ what?!” _ Yeosang cries, slamming his hands on the table. Hongjoong and Mingi both jump while Yunho shoots the cheetah hybrid a pointed look to tell him to calm down. The hybrid-friendly restaurant they’re in is more geared toward having  _ pets _ . Yunho’s just lucky he’s so sweet and charismatic, enough that they allowed him to reserve a table for three and then ask for an extra seat. However, even Yunho’s charisma and warm smiles can’t hide the fact that he’s a dog hybrid in a fancy restaurant with his friends. 

“You’re not kidding?” Mingi whispers. Hongjoong shakes his head. 

“No, I swear that’s what he said! I didn’t even bring it up, but, then, all of a sudden, he’s talking about how people think he’s an ‘insecure bastard’ who hires hybrids to feel better about himself and ‘get some ass’. It was so - so-”

“That actually sounds a lot like him,” Yunho muses. “Like, think about it - the rumors about him getting his teeth sharpened because he wanted to be like a hybrid? Totally ignored as if they’ve never existed. The rumor about him being a prostitute whose sugar daddy got him all of this shit? Not a word. And now this? Come on, guys, he’s got to have  _ some _ sort of way to let it out. Hyung just happened to be close.” 

“You have a good point but,” Yeosang says, stopping to pick at his lower lip, “I dunno. I guess it’s just . . . actually, no, you’re right. Never mind.” 

Yunho laughs quietly and lifts his glass, offering a toast. 

“May Mr. Park always be a good boss,” he says. Yeosang and Mingi both laugh as they clink their glasses together, but Hongjoong can’t help the small frown that decorates his face. It fades as they continue to eat, but, as Mingi and Yunho walk him home upon their own insistence, the frown returns. 

“Something wrong?” Mingi says as they wait for the train, huddled together like a bunch of strangely diverse penguins. 

Hongjoong shakes his head. 

“No,” he says, “just thinking a bit about what happened today. And yesterday, I guess. It’s just been . . . weird, I guess.” 

Mingi shrugs. 

“Well, Mr. Park is usually better at taking his meds, so I don’t think you’ll have another repeat of what happened the other day,” he says. His lips are pulled into a frown, then, as he adds, “The cigarettes and wine are really what help him the most, though, or so it seems. Strangely enough, I’ve never heard him cough before.”

“Probably runs in the family,” Hongjoong grunts. “I just wish he could maybe scratch  _ that _ habit from the list. Or just install vents or something in the office so I don’t have to leave every few minutes to use my inhaler.”

Mingi hums, resting his chin on top of Hongjoong’s head as the train pulls up. 

“Well,” he says as they waddle inside, Yunho leading them, “I’m sure that he’d be open to hearing your suggestions. I think he likes you.” When Hongjoong squeaks, Mingi laughs. “No, not like that. I just mean he doesn’t hate you.”

“For someone like Mr. Park, that’s basically the equivalent of him being in love with you,” Yunho snorts. Hongjoong rolls his eyes. 

“How do you know so much about him anyway?” he says, tilting his head a bit. Yunho shrugs. 

“He brought the money to our apartment directly,” Yunho says. “And then, when we went to get the surgeries done, he sat with me in the waiting room because he was our human sort of chaperone, I guess. He started talking . . . uh . . . about thirty minutes in or so. It took extra long for us since they made Mingi wait, so he just started talking to pass the time.” He shrugs again. “As for the chest surgery, it took a lot longer. Only after they saw him did they get a move on.” 

Hongjoong hums, nodding. He sneaks a glance back at Mingi, trying to imagine him as a girl. Mingi grins and winks. 

“Surprised?” he says. 

“What?”

“Are you surprised that I’m trans?” he says. Hongjoong blushes and nods. Mingi shrugs. “Don’t be sorry. To me, it’s a compliment that you never suspected it.” 

“I’ve just - well, I’ve known you for a long time so . . . I dunno. I suppose that things have gotten better, though.” Mingi laughs. 

“Yeah,” he says. “I’m just surprised that you never wondered why I didn’t have any baby pictures.” 

Hongjoong shrugs. 

“I don’t go around asking for them. Never really bothered since a lot of hybrids don’t tend to have that luxury.” 

Mingi and Yunho both hum, nodding together as the train slows to a stop. They get off together and then walk down the block to Hongjoong’s car, both of them waving goodbye to him. 

“I’ll ride with you tomorrow morning!” Mingi tells him, bending down to poke his head in through the window. Hongjoong nods, waving and grinning. 

“I’m looking forward to it!” he says. Mingi laughs, pulling his head out as Hongjoong starts the car and drives home. 

The next morning, Hongjoong gets up and ready for work quickly, trying not to be late as he eats a quick breakfast and grabs his jacket and bag on his way out. However, his entire day is held up when he opens the door and sees what’s outside. 

~

Chan has been so caught up in everything going on with the black mamba hybrid that he’s nearly completely forgotten the strange client he met with Soobin. So, when he gets a message in code sent from Yoongi, he’s a bit confused. He knows he’s being told to pick up Soobin and he has a meeting with the client sometime early tomorrow morning, though there isn’t a specific time given. Chan sighs and shakes his head, getting up and stretching. He’s finished work and he’s been just kind of sitting around his apartment, cold and lonely and tired but still with terrible insomnia. He  _ could _ return to the shelter, but it’d be suspicious if he went there too often and it’s super late already. Also, Chan may or may not be trying to avoid Felix. 

Look, it’s complicated. Chan, to be honest, doesn’t really know what happened between them (that’s a lie, he knows  _ exactly  _ what happened between them), but everything’s super awkward now so Chan has decided that he will, for one of the first times in his life,  _ not _ be the mature adult in the situation and will instead wait until someone shoves them together and forces them to talk. Though, since he’s not currently staying at the shelter, it’s going to be a bit hard. But, well, those are thoughts for another day when he’s not this tired. 

He gets up to the blaring and very annoying sound of his alarm. Chan grunts as his ears jerk about, sniffing the air to find what the more primal part of his brain has dubbed an ‘intruder’. He blinks sleepily, his eyes still lidded, and looks around, wondering how on earth he stumbled to bed when he was fairly certain he spent a majority of the night awake. 

_ Never mind that! _ the more awake part of Chan’s brain snaps.  _ The meeting, remember? It’s time! Get up, get up! _

_ Huh? _ says the wolf, rolling onto its side with a heavy sigh.  _ Felix. _

_ No! _

The wolf side whines in the back of his throat, eyes droopy and sad as it thinks of the conversation from the day before. This, of course, has Chan mirroring its behavior as his ears flop sadly onto his head and he whines into the silence of his apartment. 

_ Felix, _ both sides of his brain chorus.

Chan sighs and sits up, rubbing his eyes and trying to shake the essence of sleep off of him as he slowly gets out of bed. His feet drag behind him as he walks, slow and still rather sad, but he at least manages to get into the shower. He grabs some casual clothes and pads into his depressingly quiet kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee and looking around. 

_ This sucks, _ he thinks as he takes a sip. He winces from the bitter taste but then pats the sides of his face, blinking rapidly.  _ Grab a hat on your way out, _ he reminds himself as he takes another sip. 

Chan sighs and shakes his head at himself as he gets into his car, shivering a bit. While the actual temperature outside isn’t bad, the winds today are brutal and Chan really hates them. It doesn’t help either that the sun has yet to rise. He adjusts the hat on his head, having foregone the netting since his fur has started getting sticky, and then he starts the car, pulling out of the garage and heading toward the shelter. 

Soobin comes out to meet him, a mask covering the lower half of his face. He waves when he sees Chan and opens the door, sighing happily once he sits down. 

“Too cold,” he grumbles, hugging himself. Chan snorts and turns up the heat.

“It wouldn’t be as bad if not for the wind,” he says. “I mean, come on! It’s supposed to be really sunny today!”

It’s Soobin’s turn to snort as he shakes his head and puts his seatbelt on, his mask under his chin. 

“You worried about getting recognized?” he says as he checks his hat to make sure his ears don’t push through. Chan shrugs and checks the GPS. 

“Nah, not really,” he says. “I have a mask and a hat, so I think everything’ll be fine, especially since I have the day off.” 

“Do you think the rest of the world knows that, though?” Soobin asks as he checks his BluScreen, smiling giddily at something on the device as Chan thinks. 

“Nah. It’ll be fine, though,” he says. He pretends to peek at Soobin’s messages and the panther hybrid, presses his BluScreen to his chest, laughing. 

“Ooh, is that  _ Yeonjun? _ ” Chan sing-songs. Soobin sticks his tongue out as his cheeks turn red, though it’s not from the cold this time. 

“Maybe,” he says. He types something. “He’s just a really nice, sweet guy.” 

“Mm.” 

“You should talk to Felix, though,” Soobin says. When Chan looks over at him, his eyes wide and the tips of his (human) ears red, he shrugs and says, “Just ‘cause we’re talking about my relationship with Yeonjun. I mean, it’s not like yours and Felix’s, but, I mean, you should still  _ talk _ to the guy. He’s been sulking around the dorm all week.” 

Chan tightens his hold on the wheel and doesn’t say anything. Soobin simply sighs and shakes his head. 

“Hyung,” he says, nudging his forearm with his shoulder, “do you  _ really _ think he doesn’t like you? I mean, come on! He asked you to have sex with him!” 

“Yeah, but I’m his  _ friend _ and it’s because we’ve known each other for a long time and we’re both from Australia and-”

“Blah, blah, blah, I don’t care about that stuff,” Soobin says. He winces. “Sorry, that was mean. Yeonjun-Hyung is kind of rubbing off on me.” 

“In more ways than one, huh?” Chan teases, leaning over to sniff the other hybrid. Soobin squawks and hits his head lightly, laughing when Chan fakes hurt. 

“No, but seriously, Hyung,” he says. “He’s really sad all of a sudden and it mkes everyone else sad. Also, he gave your hoodie back because he thought you didn’t want him to have him for some reason.” 

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Chan says through gritted teeth. Soobin arches an eyebrow at him. “I mean - no, that’s not what I meant.” The light is red, so Chan uses it as a chance to hit his forehead against the steering wheel.

“Uh, if you don’t mind, but, um, what happened? You guys seemed fine just the other day.” 

“We  _ were _ fine,” Chan says. He sighs. “I’ll tell you later.” He shifts in his seat and Soobin continues to look at him expectantly until he finally releases another sigh, this one more annoyed and tired and embarrassed than its predecessor. “Okay,  _ fine _ , I’ll tell you now.” Soobin hums, shrugging. 

_ Chan’s phone rings and the wolf hybrid is quick to pick it up, his tail wagging when he sees the caller ID. He presses the device to his ear and curls up on the bed, grinning.  _

“Hyung!” _ Felix cries into the speaker and Chan can’t stop the wagging of his tail as he rolls onto his back.  _

_ “Hi, Lix,” he says. He can hear someone giggling in the background. “What’s up?”  _

_ Felix laughs nervously from the other end of the line and Chan can see him tugging at his clothes, something he tends to do if he gets nervous. Nervous, nervous, why is Felix nervous? _

“Hyung.” _ The deep voice breaks through Chan’s thoughts and he hums in response, shifting a bit in bed.  _ “Hyung,” _ Felix says again.  _

_ “Yeah?” Chan says. “What is it, Lixie?” _

“I miss you, Hyung,” _ Felix says. His voice is soft, delicate, and it dances on the edge of the abyss that Chan is so afraid of. There’s something there, laced into Felix’s words, and Chan wishes he could hide from it or claim he can’t find it.  _

_ “I - I miss you too, sunshine,” Chan says. Felix laughs.  _

“Not the same way I miss you. Not the way I want you to,”  _ he says. Chan’s heart clenches.  _

_ “Felix-” _

“Hyung,” _ Felix says, interrupting him in a way that Chan might think of as annoying in some other context with some other person,  _ “please come home soon.”

_ Please come home soon. Please come home soon. Please- _

_“I can’t,”_ _Chan says. “Felix-”_

“Why not?”  _ the cat hybrid demands from the other end of the line.  _ “Why can’t you come home?” 

_ “Because-” _

“Don’t say it’s work,” _ Felix says,  _ “because I know it isn’t. I know you have the day off tomorrow. We all do.”  _ He sighs.  _ “Hyung, Chris-”

_“I can’t come home,”_ _Chris says. “Felix, you_ know _-”_

“No, I don’t,”  _ Felix snaps.  _ “I don’t know why you keep overworking yourself like this because I know for a fact that you don’t like doing it and nobody else does. Why, Hyung? What’s - what are you trying to prove?”

_ “Nothing!” Chan says. “I’m not - what is this, some kind of interrogation?” _

“No, I’m just - fuck,” _ Felix says, sniffling.  _ “Hyung, I’m worried about you. Is that too much for you?”

_ Chan’s throat is closing up. _

_ “Don’t be,” he says. “Don’t worry about me anymore.” _

“Why not?”  _ Felix demands.  _ “Why can’t-”

_ “It’s not - it’s not worth your time, okay?” Chan says. “Just - just stop.” _

“That’s stupid,” _ Felix says.  _ “I hate when you fucking do this Chris, you know that? I hate that you use all of these shitty excuses just because you’re  _ scared _ .” 

_ “What the hell? No, I’m not-” _

“Save it,”  _ Felix hisses into the phone.  _ “I don’t - I don’t care. Whatever. I’ll see you.”

_ “Fine, good for you, you don’t care. That’s what I wanted, yeah? I don’t care that you don’t care, I don’t care.” _

“Chris-”

_ “Bye, Felix.” _

Soobin whistles loudly when he finishes the story. 

“I mean, damn,” he says. “That’s pretty rough, not gonna lie.” 

Chan snorts and shakes his head. 

“Tell me about it,” he says. He sighs heavily, his shoulders slump. “I just - I don’t - I dunno.” He chews on his lower lip. “It’s just - I don’t - I don’t want him to waste his time with someone like me. Felix is - Felix is so much, he deserves so much, and I’m always working and if I’m not working, I’m sleeping or eating. Felix is just someone who deserves a person to play with him and give him all of their time.” He shrugs helplessly. “And - and I just can’t do that.” 

“But he could help you,” Soobin offers. “I men, come on, Felix is usually the one Jin-Hyung says to get - according to Yeonjun-Hyung and Hyunjin - whenever you’re missing from meals, isn’t he? And he stayed up all night to call you that one time, though I’m sure it’s not the first time that’s happened. And he just - he goes into your room to steal your clothes and rub his scent everywhere and he hates whenever you’re away and whenever new people come he always is the first to the door to welcome you back and then-” Soobin shifts, catching himself. 

“What?” Chan says despite himself because he  _ knows _ it’ll only hurt more if he listens. Soobin picks at his nails, sheathing and unsheathing his claws. 

“He hasn’t exactly . . . left his room since your call. Hyunjin came in and told us that he wasn’t feeling good, so Jin-Hyung made him soup and-” He claps his hands over his mouth. “Shit. He didn’t want you to know.” 

Chan tenses, his knuckles whitening where they grip the wheel as he flexes his fingers. 

“Am I an asshole or what?” he grumbles. He sighs. “I mean-”

There’s a sudden crash and several cars honk as someone leaps over the hood of the car. Chan nearly breaks his neck trying to catch sight of them, and his blood runs cold when he sees the tell-tale and very familiar flash of glittering white teeth and black gums. The black mamba hybrid scrambles away quickly, a sort of urgency in his movements that Chan hasn’t seen before. He turns to look at Soobin and finds the panther hybrid to be staring after him, his mouth hanging open. 

“Hey,” he says, “how long do you think we have before that meeting?” 

“Wait, what?” Soobin says as Chan suddenly slams his foot down onto the gas pedal and jerks the wheel. “Shit, shit, shit, no, no, no, Hyung-”

“We’ll be back for you know it!” Chan yells over the other hybrid’s screaming. “Let’s go!” 

Soobin shrieks as they zoom after the hybrid and Chan prays that no one catches the license plate. The adrenaline thrums inside of his veins as they follow the hybrid, the screech of the tires making Chan’s ear tingle where they hide beneath the cap. The snake hybrid looks over his shoulder with a panicked look in his eyes, then he speeds up. Chan growls and grits his teeth. 

“We’re gonna die, we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die. Even  _ if _ we get out of this, on the off chance we do, Jin-Hyung’s still going to murder us because of this. And then we’ll be  _ super _ dead. We’re gonna die. I shouldn’t have agreed to go to this, ugh, why am I so stupid? I could be back home right now but  _ no _ , I just  _ had-” _

“Be quiet,” Chan says, sharper than he intended, but Soobin at least shuts up. His nails continue to dig into the car, though, but Chan can’t find it in himself to care as he chases after the snake hybrid. They’re definitely changing districts now if they haven’t already, though. The buildings look much less clean and their quality is taking a turn for the worse. The hybrid clearly knows his way around, though, as he takes to using a maze of alleyways to get to a large and unfortunately familiar apartment building. Chan stops the car in front of it and gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Soobin scrambles after him and the wolf hybrid pushes his mask beneath his nose, sniffing the air. He can, somewhat, smell the hybrid, maybe not enough that he’d be able to pinpoint him in a crowd, but it’ll do for tracking him. He beckons Soobin after him and the other looks around nervously, his shoulders hunched up so they’re near his ears as they walk in. They take the elevator and Chan stares at the buttons. 

“Stand in front of me, please,” he says as he gets onto his knees. Soobin covers him as Chan sniffs the buttons until he finds that button number two has relatively strongs hints of reptile on it. 

“Okay, you’re good,” he says, standing up. Soobin nods and backs away, standing in the corner of the elevator. Chan taps his toe on the floor as he waits, ears twitching curiously underneath his hat. He jumps a bit from surprise when the elevator releases a quiet ding and the doors slide open. 

The moment they do, one of the apartment doors opens and out steps none other than Hongjoong Kim. He stares at Chan and Soobin with wide eyes, his jaw dropped. Chan realizes, then, that his hat is lying on the floor. He looks down at it and then at Hongjoong, then at Soobin. They all stand there, shock tainting the hallway until Hongjoong breaks the spell when he turns around and bolts. 

“Go after him,” Chan says to Soobin. The panther hybrid nods before running off, and Chan is left alone as he begins to search for the snake hybrid. He walks slowly through the hallway, avoiding Hongjoong’s door and following the pungent but slightly fading scent of reptile until he finds the right apartment. It’s six doors down from Hongjoong’s, though Chan still feels a bit unsettled with how close the two are. He hopes they aren’t friends. 

_ Most of all, I hope this guy isn’t close with Mr. Park, _ he thinks. He sighs and takes his hat off, running a hand through his hair.  _ Then again, he’s asking to have custody of him and his friend, so I think it’s a bit late for that. _

Shaking his head, Chan straightens up and tries to seem as least threatening but still vaguely dangerous as possible. And then, he raises his hand and knocks on the door. 

~

Soobin is  _ not _ a fan of running. Yes, he knows - he’s a panther and, along with that, a predator. His species is something that  _ hunts _ for its food, and that usually entails a whole lot of running. Soobin would argue that panthers tend to spend a lot of time in trees and they’re cats, so they’re pretty lazy, but, despite being the only panther hybrid a lot of people have ever met, they still laugh and shake their heads at him. 

“Your legs are so long, though,” they’ll say. “I would’ve thought you’d have at least done  _ track _ before.” 

“I hate track. I hate sports. I hate running. I want to take a nap,” is usually Soobin’s response. For a lot of people, it’s rather strange that he doesn’t like running, but are  _ they _ panther hybrids? Black panther hybrids if you’re looking to be specific? 

The answer is no, of course, they aren’t, but they’re humans, and, for some reason, that makes them understand everything just as much as Soobin does and sometimes even more. Stupid humans. 

But Soobin’s struggles with running are a bit off-topic, especially since he’s chasing a very tiny cat hybrid through an apartment building. They’re both rather loud as they clamber through the staircase, though it remains empty. Soobin wonders if it’s a normal occurrence to have people causing a ruckus in the stairs. 

But, well, he hasn’t much time to do that because Hongjoong (the tiny cat hybrid in question) has just burst through the door of the staircase and he’s now running through the lobby, gasping for air. Soobin follows quickly, the sound of his shoes drawing Hongjoong’s attention as he looks over his shoulder and races away. Soobin sees him heading towards the parking garage and he swerves, turning and leaping toward the entrance to bar it. Hongjoong spots him and takes a sudden turn, rushing away from him. 

_ Welp, I guess that’s a good thing, _ Soobin thinks as he follows Hongjoong to a bus stop. The cat hybrid seems to have foregone dodging around people as he shoves his way through, gasping breaths getting louder with each second that passes. Soobin  _ does _ feel kind of bad for the guy and he’s also not too sure as to why Chan told him to follow him, though he’s assuming it’s because he thinks he’s going to tell someone that the infamous Chief Bang is actually a hybrid himself. A  _ wolf _ hybrid at that. 

“ _ I _ don’t think he will,” Soobin grumbles under his breath as he runs. It’s starting to take a toll on him, especially since the sun is rising and he’s still tired and he hates running, but Hongjoong’s definitely gotten the short end of the stick. Soobin watches him out of the corner of his eye as they stand at the bus stop. Hongjoong reaches shakily into his bag and pulls out an inhaler, pressing it to his lips and pushing down on the metal cylinder sticking out from the top. He does it again before putting the thing away, sighing shakily. He looks around, then, and his eyes land on Soobin, growing wide with fear. Soobin remains planted where he is, though he still feels really bad about this. He also thinks that they should  _ probably _ head to that meeting or else they’re going to be late. 

When Hongjoong’s bus comes, Soobin allows a few people (well, a lot of them are hybrids) to get in between them. Of course, in the end, they’re all herded to the back of the bus, but Soobin still chooses to keep his distance from Hongjoong. Now that he knows about his asthma, he feels even worse about tormenting him. Hasn’t he suffered enough?

The bus ends up heading into what Soobin believes to be another district before they get off. The ride is about fifteen minutes, give or take, and Soobin shadows Hongjoong as they go. He covers his ears with a hat and pulls his mask over his nose, jamming his hands into his pockets and pretending to stare at his feet. He looks up every so often to check on Hongjoong, feeling every bit like a stalker. 

_ Ugh, god, what has it come to? _ he asks himself as they pass through the security procedures and down into the boarding area. People are already buzzing around the place, talking loudly through their earpieces and creating a sea of chatter that fills the large, underground space to the brim. Hongjoong keeps his head down as he walks though it does nothing to hide his ears, something that’s definitely in Soobin’s favor. He follows the other feline hybrid until they both find a place to stand, keeping a little bit of space between them. He doubts it makes it any less scary for Hongjoong, but he wants to at least  _ feel _ like he’s being nice. Then again, he  _ did _ kind of chase the guy out of his apartment building, so maybe ‘being nice’ isn’t exactly an option anymore. 

_ “Now boarding: Train 7763 to District A-2. Now boarding: Train 7763 to District A-2,” _ a robotic female voice calls over the indistinct chatter of the humans and hybrids clamored together in the boarding area. Hongjoong straightens and steals a glance at Soobin, though he’s quick to turn his attention to his feet when the other hybrid looks over and meets his eyes. 

They get on together. Soobin adjusts his hat and joins him. Hongjoong goes toward the back and tucks himself into a corner and Soobin goes to follow him, but, before he can get any closer than six feet or so, another hybrid seemingly  _ materializes _ in front of him, blocking his way. They seem to be about the same height and Soobin stares at him. He’s a dog hybrid, probably a mixed-breed, with small, narrowed eyes, plump lips, and a very straight nose. He glares at Soobin and then turns to look at Hongjoong, asking a silent question. The other hybrid shakes his head quickly and then the male in front of Soobin snorts, though he steps away. Soobin watches him carefully as he begins moving back, but a hand grabs him by the wrist and tugs him back. Panic flashes through Soobin as he turns around to stare wide-eyed at the dog hybrid, though his face is blank and Soobin is left to wish he had never gotten into the car in the first place.

When they reach the stop, Soobin is forced to geet off with the dog hybrid. 

“I’ll see you at work, Hyung,” he says gruffly to Hongjoong who nods quickly. His voice is deep and it doesn’t make him any less intimidating, especially when he’s pushing Soobin along and not giving him any chance to fight back. Then again, Soobin thinks he probably deserves it. 

“You’re gonna wait here,” the dog hybrid grunts as they reach one of the characteristically pristine buildings of one of the most advanced districts. Soobin looks up and his eyes widen, his stomach pouring itself into his shoes. 

_ District A-2 Correction Facility and Police Department _

_ Fuck, _ Soobin thinks. He doesn’t have time for this. 

“Here,” the hybrid says, tugging him along. They head inside and Soobin keeps his head down, chewing harshly on his lower lip. 

They’re met by none other than Changbin. The other dog hybrid looks like he’s about to pass out when he sees Soobin. 

“Identification?” he says boredly to the dog hybrid. He pulls out a card. Changbin looks it over and then his eyes widen as he looks up at the hybrid. 

“Mingi Song?” he says. Mingi nods, shifting in place. He seems to have gotten a lot smaller since they encountered Changbin. 

“Yes, sir,” he murmurs. Changbin hums. 

“Okay. Keep in mind that you may be contacted for further information, but, at the moment, you may head to work,” he says. It’s probably not what he’s supposed to be doing, especially since a hybrid just brought a “human” in, but, well, Changbin might not even put Soobin into the database. He simply leads him to a phone and sighs. 

“What was it this time?” he says. Soobin opens his mouth to answer but Changbin just holds his hand up and shakes his head. “Just - no, I’ll hear about it later. Just call Yeonjun or something.” 

Soobin nods, picking up the phone and putting in the number. 

_ “Uh - um, hello?” _ Yeonjun says groggily when he picks up the phone.  _ “Um, who is this?” _

“It’s Soobin. Can - uh, I’m actually at the police station in District A-2. So, um, would you mind coming to pick me up?” 

Yeonjun snorts and Soobin can hear the rustling of clothes in the background. 

_ “Sure, but you’re telling me all about what happened in the car, okay? See ya.”  _

“Bye,” Soobin says. Yeonjun hangs up and he sighs, shoulders slumping. 

“All right,” Changbin says, “I guess you’ll just have to wait here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye luv u  
> also  
> shud i update the rating after that little . . . scene idk maybe not


	6. Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Great news! Soobin is picked up by Seonghwa before Yeonjun can get to him and then he has to go to a meeting that Chan misses, and now Chan has been somewhat kidnapped! Oh, and Hongjoong loses it in the middle of a hallway, no biggie.

Soobin sits quietly in the station, his hands pressed together between his thighs. He looks up every so often when someone passes by, but, when everyone stays silent, he doesn’t try anything. After all, it’s not like Soobin can blame them when putting their jobs in jeopardy could put the entire resistance sort of thing in hot water, especially since there are actual humans working here. 

“Is Felix here?” he whispers to Hyunjin when he passes. The cat hybrid shakes his head. 

“He . . . he’s not feeling well again,” he murmurs. Soobin hums and nods, watching as he goes. He sighs and his shoulders slump, his head dropping down. He’s in so much trouble, and the fact that Chan is literally  _ gone _ doesn’t make it any better. 

_ Jin-Hyung’s going to flay me alive,  _ he thinks.  _ Shit, I’m dead. _

The sudden sound of someone coming into the building startles Soobin and he jumps a bit, looking around. Changbin rushes by and Soobin wants to ask him what’s going on, though it seems like he’s pretty busy at the moment. 

“I want the one who chased my assistant,” a voice hisses. Soobin’s eyes widen as his fur puffs and his ears go erect, claws unsheathing instinctively. His jaw tenses and he looks around, trying to find where the origin of the voice could be. 

“Sir, please calm down, he’s not-”  _ That’s Changbin-Hyung trying to keep everything under control.  _

“Where is he?” the voice demands. “I want him. I’ll press charges on my own.” 

“Sir, please understand-”  _ Seungmin is trying to help Hyung with this guy.  _

“Here,” the voice snaps. There’s the sound of papers and clothes ruffling, and then Soobin can hear dollars being shifted through, quickly and angrily in a fashion that does nothing to hide the owner’s fury. Seungmin and Changbin both splutter, surprised and at a loss for words, but, apparently, their unexpected guest doesn’t care because he’s coming this way. His heels are loud as they collide with the floor, quick and definitely very short-tempered. Soobin feels himself pressing closer and closer to the wall, waiting for the storm of a person headed his way. 

“Hello,” the man says when he sees Soobin. He’s tall, though that might be due to the giant heels he’s wearing. His waist is rather petite, and it’s outlined by the white corset worn over a flowy shirt. His  [ brooch ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/190840102949153891/) is made of two silver snakes with a large black stone, rounded and smooth and hanging prettily in a sea of soft white. His suit jacket is black and shining underneath the lights, his pants a bit loose but still fitted. In his hand, a cigarette sits pinched between his pointed and middle finger, both of which are adorned with countless silver rings, just like the rest of his fingers. He blinks once, then he arches an eyebrow. Soobin is pretty sure he’s seen him before, though he can’t remember when.

“Hi?” Soobin says. The man exhales a plume of smoke. 

“You’re coming with me,” he says, not bothering to go through with sorts of formalities as he leans down and grabs Soobin by the wrist and drags him away. Despite wearing heels, he walks with the same ease as any other person on the street, quick, even steps that make a loud clicking sound every time the heels hit the ground. Changbin and Seungmin, when they see Soobin as he’s being kidnapped(?) by this strange man, gawk at him. One of the human employees walks by and the papers fall from her hands. Soobin tries to step around them, but the man leading him leaves dark marks on top of them. Soobin follows quickly and rushes out an apology to the woman as they leave, the man throwing the door open and stomping out. His car sticks out like a sore thumb - it’s easily the most expensive thing in the parking lot but only if its owner doesn’t claim that first. The vehicle is long, black, and sleek, and probably worth more than Soobin’s entire wardrobe. Then again, he has like, five different shirts and pairs of pants give or take, so, well, maybe using his wardrobe isn’t the best comparison. 

“In,” the man snaps, gesturing to the door. Soobin trips over his own feet to obey, opening the door and getting into the back. The man walks quickly to the front, a permanent scowl etched into his face as he throws the door open and climbs inside, slamming it loudly. 

Their drive starts in silence. The man in the front seat has turned his knuckles right, his jaw tensed as he stares furiously at the cars and obstacles before them. Soobin, on the other hand, is too scared to do anything but stare at his hands.

Finally, though, the driver says something. 

“What do you want from me?” he asks, not bothering to look back at Soobin. The car stops at a light and he pulls out a cigarette, ignoring the passenger in the back of his car as he brings it to his lips and lights it. The windows roll down and he grabs a pair of large, butterfly (or is cat’s eyes?) sunglasses. He turns to face the car beside them to exhale the smoke, turning back to the front. 

“Well?” he says when Soobin’s silence becomes a bit too lengthy. “What do you want?” 

“What do I want . . . from . . . you?” Soobin says, frowning and tilting his head. “I’m - I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t - I don’t understand.” 

The man almost stops the car, jerking in place as he finally turns to look at Soobin. His eyes, despite the fact that he’s wearing a pair of darkly-tinted sunglasses, can be seen and are wide with surprise. 

“Do - you don’t want anything?” he says shakily. “Do - do you even know who I  _ am _ ?” 

Soobin shifts in place, shrugging a bit. 

“Well, I mean,” he mumbles, “you’re - you’re kind of familiar, I guess, and, like, I think I’ve seen you before, but I, um, I don’t really . . . know your . . . name?”

This time, the man actually  _ does _ stop the car, the wheels screeching in protest as the vehicles behind them honk angrily. However, Soobin’s driver and/or kidnapper doesn’t seem to care as he turns around to face the hybrid with wide eyes. He even lowers his sunglasses, his eyebrows rising. 

“Excuse me?” he says. “Do -  _ how _ ?” 

Soobin laughs nervously and scratches the back of his neck, shrugging. 

“I, uh, I’m not the best with - with names, I guess? I don’t know, I just - I know I’ve seen you before, but-”

“I’m Seonghwa Park,” the man interrupts. “You - you really didn’t recognize me?” 

Soobin shakes his head. Now, though, he can definitely remember Seonghwa. It makes him want to get away from him even more.  _ Shit, Hongjoong’s life really must suck. _

Seonghwa, however, seems to be oblivious to Soobin’s thoughts as he laughs, a bit breathless. 

“I can’t believe it,” he says. He runs a hand through his hair and somehow manages to keep from messing it up. “You - I can’t believe it. You don’t know who - you weren’t following my assistant to get - to get at me?” 

Soobin shakes his head again. Seonghwa sighs and then lowers his head down onto the wheel before a car honks particularly loudly. He spasms, surprised and then annoyed and then angry as he turns around and sticks his head out of the window, his cigarette still between his lips. He takes it out as he holds his fist out, extending his ring-covered middle finger. 

“Patience is a virtue, you rude motherfucker!” he yells. He sighs and turns away, shaking his head as he presses his foot down on the gas pedal and starts the car again. 

“Wait a minute,” he says. He looks up in the rearview mirror, eyebrows arching. “If you weren’t following my assistant for - to get some kind of dirt on  _ me _ , then why?” He turns onto another street. “I always check my employees’ records myself. He’s never been involved with any sort of suspicious activities. He came here from Korea around five years ago - or so I remember - and he’s been focused on schoolwork and getting a job ever since.” He frowns. “So why would someone like you be following him?” 

Soobin, for the nth time that day (he can’t believe it’s not even  _ noon _ yet, it’s far too early for all of this drama, Soobin doesn’t know if he’ll be able to stay awake for the rest of the day), shifts in place and shrugs. 

“I - uh, well, it’s - um, it’s a long story,” he says. Seonghwa barks a laugh, loud and obnoxious. 

“Trust me,” he says, looking at Soobin through the mirror, “we’ve got more than enough time.” 

_ Uh, no, actually,  _ we _ don’t because I have to meet with someone and I have to find Chan-Hyung if he’s not there, so, um,  _ we _ do not, in fact, have plenty of time.  _ You _ might, but I, for one, do not.  _

Of course, Soobin chooses to keep such thoughts in his head and he instead laughs nervously. Again. 

“Um, I actually - well, you see, Mr. Park, I mean no disrespect, but, um, I actually have something to get to and I have to find my friend before that, so, well, I don’t really have  _ too _ much time, so if you could just drop me off at the train station, that’d be great, really, thank you,” Soobin says before he cringes at himself.  _ That, _ he thinks,  _ was definitely not any better.  _

Seonghwa snorts. 

“First of all,” he says, “don’t call me Mr. Park. I’m not your friend.” Soobin wants to protest, though he chooses to keep his mouth shut since Seonghwa could easily crash the car or worse. “Second of all, how important was it that you could be late to chase after some poor hybrid but, when confronted with what you’ve done, you suddenly  _ have _ to go?” 

Soobin tugs at the collar of his shirt and shrugs helplessly. 

“I - well, actually, you see, you’d have to ask my friend that since he’s the one who ended up taking a detour on our way to the spot when he saw-”

“Who’s your friend?” Seonghwa says. He seems to have very little regard for other people. Soobin can’t say he’s surprised.

“I - uh, well . . . um, he’s just . . . he’s my friend,” Soobin says. Seonghwa snorts, shaking his head as the train station comes into view. 

“What’s your name, at least tell me that. After all, I could’ve filed charges and I doubt that would’ve ended well for you, especially considering who I am and who you are,” he says. He’s turned around is leaning over the seat, sunglasses on the top of his head and nestled in his hair. His makeup is done really well. 

“Um . . . I’m - I’m Soobin,” the panther hybrid says before he can think of a fake name. “Yeah.” 

“ ‘Yeah’?” Seonghwa says, arching an eyebrow. “Really?” 

Soobin nods quickly. Seonghwa laughs at him, shaking his head. 

“Well then,  _ Soobin, _ ” he says, seemingly getting a feel for the name in his mouth, “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other a bit more often.” His smile grows even more aggressive and much less passive. “And stay away from Hongjoong, will you?”

Soobin’s already out of the car, but Seonghwa doesn’t leave until he nods. Then, the wheels screech and he’s off, though Soobin doesn’t move from his spot until he can no longer discern the car. 

He looks at his BluScreen to find the location, then shoots Chan a message, praying that he’ll get it. Soobin walks quickly through the city streets which are now crowded with countless people trying to get to work or wherever they need to be. The sound of their voices is loud, all of it morphing into one large sort of . . . well, voice, Soobin supposes for lack of a better word. It’s easy to tune out, at least, and he doesn’t have to worry about anyone getting suspicious of him as he walks around. And then he remembers that the meeting spot is in one of the hybrid districts.

_ “Fuck,” _ Soobin says, turning around and then beginning to jog through the crowd. He weaves around the people, chewing on his lower lip as he tries to get back to the train station. And then, after that, he’ll most likely have to take the bus back to H-16. Even after all of that, he won’t be there. He’ll probably end up walking for several minutes before he finds that specific alleyway, and, because of all of this traveling that seems to be in his immediate future, Soobin is seriously beginning to doubt that he’ll have time to look for Chan. 

_ But then everything could be put in jeopardy, _ he thinks as he ducks down into the train station, walking quickly down the stairs.  _ And that would be far from good. Also, Chan-Hyung is my friend. I have to look for him. _

He sighs, shaking his head as he waits for his train, idly tapping his toe on the ground. The trains are loud and unabashed about the fact, though Soobin does wish there was a way to tune their angry roars out. He sighs yet again and then leans his head against the pole beside him, his eyes closing as he listens for his train to be called.

A few more minutes pass, and then Soobin hears his train arriving. He stands up straight before walking in, sitting down and staring at his feet. The ride is, unfortunately, several minutes long, and Soobin is unable to stop the bouncing of his leg by the time it ends. He rushes out of the car when the train  _ finally _ stops, zig-zagging around the people in the crowd. The bus station, much to Soobin’s relief, isn’t very far from where he got off of the train, though he doesn’t know exactly where he’s supposed to meet. He checks his BluScreen for a location, sighing happily when he sees one. 

However, Chan still has yet to answer his message. The absence of a response makes Soobin even more antsy, and he’s beginning to wonder how long it is until he explodes. He bounces his leg up and down and drums his nails on his thigh, turning to look out of the bus window as they head deeper into the district. 

As soon as they arrive at Soobin’s stop, the panther hybrid has bolted to the front of the bus and is already halfway out the door by the time it stops moving. He stumbles out and around, walking quickly. Thankfully, no one seems to get in his way. In fact, the crowd seems to move around him, and Soobin wants to cry because he’s been so lucky and he knows he’s going to have a shitty week because of it now. 

Soobin arrives at the meeting spot after the client does and before Chan. The client, once again, leaning against the wall, a mask pulled over their face and their hat shadowing everything else. When they see Soobin, they push themself off of the wall and walk over. Wordlessly, they reach into their pocket and pull out a wad of cash, handing it to Soobin before turning away and walking off, disappearing easily into the crowd. As they go, however, a small box falls from their jacket, and Soobin rushes to pick it up.

_ Sobraine Black Russians, _ he thinks as he stares at the box. He frowns and looks up, trying to find the figure in the crowd, but they’ve long since disappeared. Shaking his head, Soobin turns around and heads back to where he thinks the car is, checking for any reports or messages from Chan. Just as he puts his BluScreen away, though, a car pulls up behind him. Yeonjun leans out of the window, pulling down his sunglasses. 

“Need a ride?” he says. Soobin opens his mouth to explain that they still need to find Chan, but the fox hybrid takes one look around and his jaw drops. He turns to look up at Soobin. 

“Where’s Chan-Hyung?” he says. 

Soobin bites his lip and looks around. 

“I don’t - I don’t know,” he mumbles. “He’s not responding to any of my messages and - and I think something might’ve happened to him.” 

“How?” Yeonjun cries. When Soobin goes to explain - or try to - the older male shakes his head and waves his hand. “Never mind. Just get in the car, you can tell us there.” He looks around. “I don’t think we should spend too much time here if you know what I mean.” 

Soobin nods, opening the door and climbing into the car. The moment the door slams shut and Yeonjun’s window closes, all four people in the vehicle are turning to him. Taehyun and Hueningkai are in the backseat with Soobin while Beomgyu has one hand on the steering wheel, his head tilted. 

“So, what happened to Chan-Hyung?” Hueningkai says. “Where is he?” 

Soobin bites his lip and shifts in his seat, delaying his answer by putting his seatbelt on. 

“Well,” he says, “we were on our way to the meeting spot which is where I just was, you know? And we were driving around the city when suddenly that snake - the one that was on the news for murder - leaped over the hood of the car! So Chan-Hyung decided to follow it and we got to that Hongjoong guy’s apartment where we ran into him so Chan-Hyung made me chase him-”

“Why?” Taehyun says, frowning. 

“He saw him without a disguise so he figured out-”

“-That he was a hybrid?” Hueningkai cries.  _ “What?! _ Did you catch him? Now we have to do a memory wipe and we have to find him and make sure-”

“No, I think - I think it’s fine,” Soobin says. He twiddles his thumbs. “Um, uh, his boss actually came to pick me up.” 

“Seonghwa Park?” Yeonjun shrieks, loudly enough that Beomgyu hits him, something that’s a bit ironic considering how loud Beomgyu himself is. 

“Uh . . . yeah. Yeah, that’s the guy,” Soobin says. “He, um, he doesn’t know anything about what was supposed to happen, though! I swear! He just came to pick me up because of Hongjoong.” 

Yeonjun sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“All right, let’s say that  _ is _ why he picked you up,” Yeonjun says, “we still need Chan-Hyung? Do you know where he is?” 

Soobin shakes his head. 

“Not exactly,” he says. He shifts again. “I do - but I think I can - I think I’d be able to give enough information to do so?” 

Beomgyu looks around. 

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” he says. “Let’s go get Yoongi-Hyung!”

~

Chan stares at the hybrid, pushing his sweatshirt back from the gun he’s carrying. The black mamba hybrid watches him with dark, angry eyes, though he seems to be using his body to protect something hidden inside of his apartment. There’s someone whimpering behind him, a few pained gasps breaking through every so often, but Chan remains unable to see who lies behind the other hybrid. However, he has a pretty good hunch as to who it might be. 

“Who’s in the back?” Chan says. The snake hybrid glares at him, tense and still and very stubborn about remaining that way. “Is he the fox hybrid? Your friend, right?” 

The other hybrid’s eyes darken. 

“No,” he says, his voice shadowed by the tiniest of lisps. It makes Chan think a little bit of Yoongi and Beomgyu with their Daegu lisps. “Not just a friend.” 

Chan nods, bowing his head. 

“Yeah, okay. But I - I can get him help. I can help you guys, yeah? Look, I’m a hybrid too,” he says. He pulls his hat off and holds his hands up, ears twitching a bit. “See? I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“What do you want?” the snake demands.

“I want to help you,” Chan says, still holding his hands in the air despite how nervous and exposed it makes him feel. “Just come with me and bring the fox, okay? I know people who can help-”

Before he can finish, the other hybrid is lunging at him, jaw unhinging as his fangs shoot out. Chan ducks just as the snake hybrid grabs the back of his shirt and tugs him inside, then he pushes his head to the left. Chan stumbles, instinctively going to cover the back of his head as he ducks and rolls back from the corner. The snake hybrid is hissing now, black eyes angry as his forked tongue darts out from between his teeth. He’s placed himself so he’s in front of the fox hybrid, using his own body as a shield. Chan can guess that they’re close in height, though, from what he saw, the other hybrid is definitely taller. He thinks he’s bulkier, though, so hopefully, that’ll-

Chan gasps as a foot comes in contact with his shoulder, growling low in the back of his throat as the other hybrid tries to back him against the wall. He scrambles up and then dodges the kick from his opponent, lunging at him. The other hybrid twists around just in time, though Chan still manages to tackle him. He straddles the other hybrid as he brings his arms up to protect his face, breathing heavily. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Chan says. “I just-”

“ _ Please, _ ” a voice rasps. Chan stiffens as his ears go up. “Please, don’t hurt - don’t hurt Sannie.” There’s a cough and Chan can feel ‘Sannie’ tense beneath him, his breathing slowing. Foolishly, he chances a glance over his shoulder at the fox hybrid who’s now barely sitting up, reaching weakly toward the two other hybrids in the apartment. 

Due to his distraction, though, Chan is put in a weak spot and the snake hybrid pulls his fist back before punching him harshly in the jaw. Chan stumbles off of him, black spots clouding his vision as the floor seems to sway beneath his feet. He blinks a few times, tasting blood in his mouth as he looks dazedly at his opponent and his opponent’s accomplice. And then he stumbles one last time before falling. 

He wakes up with his hands and ankles messily duct-taped together and a piece of tape slapped over his mouth. Lowering his arms, which are stiff from so long in a single position, he pulls the tape off of his face and moves his mouth around a bit. His eyes have already adjusted to the darkness of the closet(?) he thinks he’s found himself in. Chan shifts around, blinking and trying to un-bloat his eyes. His stomach, shoulder, and jaw are all throbbing angrily, and he’s certain he’s going to have bruises in all of those locations. 

_ Where am I? _ he thinks. He wiggles around a bit to try and get more comfortable, sniffing the air. He can definitely identify the catnip being kept in here, that’s for sure. It also smells like this little closet of sorts hasn’t been used very recently if ever, though he can’t be sure of that. However, Chan is very certain that he doesn’t like being in this little closet since his entire body is cramping up and he does  _ not _ like it one bit. 

Blinking slowly, Chan tries to remember what happened. He can remember getting up before the sun rose, then he went out to pick Soobin up from the shelter. They were driving around the district to get to the meeting spot when ‘Sannie’ (Chan really doubts that’s his real name, though he doesn’t know anything else or if he misheard) jumped over the hood of their car and Chan decided to follow him. 

_ That, Chan,  _ he thinks,  _ was a terrible idea and you should’ve listened to Soobin.  _

_ I know, _ he thinks back, sighing softly as he continues trying to get comfortable. 

After Sannie jumped over their car, they followed him to Hongjoong’s apartment building, where they ran into the cat hybrid himself. 

_ And then I sent Soobin after him, _ Chan thinks miserably. He presses his bound hands to his forehead and groans quietly, both from pain and annoyance.  _ Stupid, stupid, why did you do that? _

And _ , as if it’s not bad enough, we still have to meet up with that client. Ugh. _

Chan sighs yet again and lets his head fall back against the box of sorts behind him. He shivers, shaking his head. 

_ And then what happened, Chan? Come on, you have to remember, _ he tells himself. His brow furrows as he tries to recall getting his ass kicked by a snake hybrid and his dying friend. He knows he tried to negotiate at first, so good job to him for that, he supposes, though the other hybrid still dragged him into his apartment and knocked him out. So, until he can figure out a way to get out of here, he’s stuck in this closet and all he can do is hope that Soobin gets to the meeting. 

_ This is a mess,  _ Chan thinks to himself.  _ I don’t know where Soobin is, I don’t know where  _ I _ am, and I’m probably going to get ratted out sooner or later. This is, most definitely, a mess.  _

He sighs, shifting again, though it really doesn’t do anything. Chan is simply stuck in this little closet and all he can hope for is that his captor (or is it captors? He wouldn’t really say that the fox hybrid has had anything to do with this sort of kidnapping of sorts, he supposes, since he spent a majority of it passed out on the shitty mattress and/or couch, though Chan can’t remember which it was. Huh. Maybe he  _ does _ have a concussion.)

_ That’s stupid, _ he thinks, shaking his head.  _ I don’t have a concussion. I’m just stuck in a closet and I hate it. _

He snorts, sighing. Now that he thinks about it, though, he should probably check for his wallet and keys, though he doubts he’ll still have his gun. Nonetheless, Chan maneuvers himself so he can pat himself down, strange as it might seem. As he’d originally thought, his weapon has been taken from him, as have his keys, BluScreen, and Wallet. Now, Chan has pretty much nothing but the clothes on his back and the tape binding him. 

_ Well, that’s just great, isn’t it? _ he finds himself thinking. He sighs, shaking his head and shivering, curling up into a ball as his ears lay themselves against his head. The closet is full of dust and it’s not doing anything for his nose or weak allergies, though it’s not bad enough that his face is swelling or anything. Under his breath and before he can stop it, a dejected and very involuntary little whimper escapes from him. Chan moves about until he’s lying on his side and staring out at the tiny bit of light that streams in through the space under the door, trying to wiggle closer. For once, he’s glad he’s short. 

_ I miss Felix, _ he ends up thinking after several minutes, though he can’t be sure how much time has passed since he woke up. Nonetheless, the thought is still as pathetic and embarrassing as it would be if he wasn’t locked up in a closet. He sighs sadly and continues to stare longingly at the bits of the apartment he can see. The fox hybrid is still lying limply on the couch, though he must’ve gone quiet while Chan was unconscious because, now that he thinks about it, he’s been silent the entire time, his whimpers and gasps having disappeared from the room. Sannie, on the other hand, is yet to be seen, though Chan’s ears prick the moment he hears footsteps. 

“Yes, he’s here,” the snake hybrid hisses. “You - You know what, I don’t care. Yes, he’s been here for the entire time.” There’s more pacing. “No, that’s not why I need the money. And that’s not all you’d be offering.” The snake hybrid pauses, his movements coming to a stop for a moment before he scoffs angrily and hisses, “No, I don’t - why would I want that? What would I gain from your downfall, Hyung?” He smirks when the person on the other side of the line says something, laughing bitterly. “Don’t worry, I know. You should also know that I only ever do it to get under your skin too, though.” 

A soft, barely-there whimper breaks through and Sannie stops. 

“Hold on a second. Woo’s up again,” he murmurs, sandwiching the little device between his shoulder and cheek. He rushes over to the couch/bed and crouches down, though Chan can’t see much else. He can, however, hear Sannie cooing softly, whispering to Woo. 

“Hey, baby, hey,” he says. “How’re you feeling?” 

Woo doesn’t respond, only whimpering softly in the back of his throat. Sannie hums and Chan wishes he could see what was going on. He shifts, pressing his face forward and pawing at the door. 

“Did you seriously just ask how he is?” Sannie says suddenly, anger filling his tone. “You - what right to that kind of information do  _ you _ have? Why should - why should I tell you?” He laughs. “You have no shame, do you?” 

There’s a period of extended silence, and Chan looks up at the doorknob. He sits up and grabs it, jiggling the knob despite having a very good hunch that it’s locked. If his captor was smart enough to search him, then it’s very unlikely that he’d leave him in an unlocked closet. 

“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t kick me out yourself,” the snake hybrid snaps as he walks over to some piece of furniture and sits down. Chan can hear him moving things around. “Save it. Just come here with the money and papers and we’ll make the trade.” There’s the sound of a lighter being played with, probably made of metal. “Why do you want him, anyway? What’s he got for you?” 

_ They are, most likely, talking about me, _ Chan thinks, shifting about. He closes one eye and looks out through the crack beneath the door, trying to figure out what’s going on. 

“Fine, that’s fair, I guess,” Sannie finally says. Chan hears him get up and his footsteps come closer and closer to the door. He sits up, then, and scrambles to find the tape that gagged him, but he’s not fast enough to do so because the door opens. 

The light makes Chan cower away from the door as the snake hybrid stares down at him. 

“Hold still,” he says gruffly, getting down and pulling out a knife. Chan chooses to obey, watching the reptile carefully as he cuts the tape around his ankles and then helps him to his feet. “I’m San.” 

“You probably already know,” Chan says as he stands shakily. San shrugs, not bothering to turn around as he walks off. 

“Just sit there,” he says, pointing at a chair covered in a white sheet. Chan walks over and obeys, watching as San takes a seat on the bed beside Woo. The fox hybrid shifts a bit when he does, sniffing the air before moving to rest his head in the other male’s lap. San strokes his hair while adjusting his black tank-top to show the wolf hybrid his own gun in his belt. 

“The guy coming to pick you up will take your stuff. What happens to you then isn’t my problem,” he says. The fox hybrid in his lap presses his face into his stomach and San continues to stroke his hair. “Just sit there and wait.” 

Chan nods, shifting in place. San has broad shoulders and he’s definitely well-muscled, though not in the same way Chan is. His legs are long and his waist is small, giving him a bit of an hourglass body type. His neck is speckled with little freckles, his nails black just like his mouth and eyes. His skin is a collection of tattoos, one of which has the name  _ Wooyoung _ written in Korean surrounded by roses and orange blossoms. Another is a black mamba curled around his bicep, striking and angry. Chan doubts that San would explain any of them if asked, though, so he keeps quiet. 

“What - what happened to him if you don’t mind me asking?” Chan says, lifting his bound wrists to point at the hybrid whose name - or so Chan thinks - is Wooyoung. 

San stares at him, his eyes glittering like twin black embers. It makes Chan feel as if he’s responsible, though he doesn’t know how. 

“None of your business,” he snaps. He wipes his lips with his forearm, turning to scowl at some poor, innocent spot on the ground. “Why would you care, anyway? You’re a traitor to your kind. I don’t have to tell you anything.” 

_ A traitor to my kind? _ Chan thinks. He looks at San, stares at him and his dark, angry eyes, at the fox hybrid lying in his lap, and then at his hands.  _ Is . . . is that what he thinks of me? _

Soobin’s fear-filled eyes fill his mind, then, as Chan remembers their first meeting. He’d been ready to run the moment he’d laid eyes on him. And so many others before him have been the same, terrified of Chan, sometimes even after he reveals himself as a hybrid. 

_ San has no reason to believe me to be someone here to help him, _ he realizes.  _ I chased him here in my car. Why would he ever want to trust me? _

“I’m sorry,” he blurts, then. San looks up at him. “I - I know I haven’t been the best about getting my point across.” 

“You want to kill me,” San says. He shrugs. “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. A lot of people do.” 

“No, but the thing is I  _ don’t _ want to kill you,” Chan says. “I want - I want to help you and Wooyoung. That’s his name, isn’t it?” San nods slowly. “Please. Let me help you, I swear I can get you medical help, just trust-”

Before he can finish, someone knocks on the door. San holds his hand up, telling Chan to be quiet, and then he grabs the gun from his belt and walks slowly to the door. Chan notices, then, how he’s positioned Wooyoung in the apartment, keeping him out of sight of anyone at the door, but still easily accessible to San. 

“Hey,” the fox hybrid rasps, then, too quiet for San to hear. “Come over here.” 

Chan gets on his knees and shuffles over. Wooyoung smiles weakly and pats the side of his face. 

“Take care of him, okay?” he says. “I think - I think you’re a good person, and I need someone to take care of Sannie if something happens to me. My friend-” he winces “-my friend doesn’t trust me anymore. So you’ve gotta-”

“Let me in right this instant, San!” a voice snaps, one that Chan dreads. San snorts, not turning around as Chan gets to his feet. And then the door is opening and Chan swears his jaw drops to the floor. 

~

“Are you okay?” Mingi says quietly as he arrives, gently nuzzling the side of Hongjoong’s neck in question. The cat hybrid nods, tugging on his sweater. 

“Yeah,” he says. “I just - ugh, ever since I became Mr. Park’s assistant, all of these people have been following me.” 

Mingi frowns at him and tilts his head. 

“That - that wasn’t a human, though,” he says. “That was a panther hybrid.” 

Hongjoong looks around before standing on his tiptoes and putting his lips near Mingi’s ear. 

“I saw him when I went to get Mr. Park’s cigarettes,” he whispers. “He and his friend - they bought the same cigarettes Mr. Park likes and then they followed me into an alleyway, so, naturally, I thought I was gonna get raped, but then the cops showed up and I was free to go!” 

“So why do you think he’s following you?” Mingi says. Hongjoong shrugs, sighing and rubbing his temples. 

“Haven’t a clue,” he says. He looks around. “I think, though, that we both should be getting back to work. We’re both pretty busy.” 

Mingi laughs shrugging as he waves over his shoulder and walks off. Hongjoong heads toward the office, looking through his tablet. Because of this, he doesn’t notice the man rushing toward him. 

Hongjoong shrieks as scalding hot coffee lands on him, trying to use his tablet as a shield. He ends up falling on his butt, though that’s the least of his worries because he’s burning from the coffee spilled on him and he doubts he has any spare clothes. 

“I’m so sorry!” he blurts anyway, wiping the coffee from his eyes. The man before him is glaring down at him, washed-out blue eyes full of anger that Hongjoong can see despite his large glasses. 

_ This is the man who Mr. Park got mad at after I pointed out the flaws in his design, _ Hongjoong realizes. He stares, his jaw dropped, unable to do anything. 

“Well then?” the man says. “Pick it up! Watch where you're going! What are you even doing? Hurry before Mr. Park sees!” 

Hongjoong scrambles to obey, biting back his cries and whimpers as he gathers up the papers and the now-ruined tablet in his arms, ears lowered and knees knocking together. He looks around, embarrassment filling him at the people who stare unabashedly at him. His sweater (which was white, meaning it’s  _ ruined _ now) is sticking to his skin and smelling of coffee. His pants aren’t  _ as _ bad, but they were still a black/white/gray plaid, so Hongjoong doubts that they’re salvageable. Even his socks are going to have to be thrown out, he thinks. His glasses and shoes are the only things he might be able to keep. 

Humiliated, Hongjoong bolts, biting his lip and fighting his tears as he stops in front of the door to Seonghwa’s office. 

_ I can’t go in looking like this, _ he realizes. He looks down at himself, horrified by his ruined clothes.  _ What would I say, anyway? One of your employees purposely crashed into me and now I think I might actually need some burn cream because of how hot his coffee was? Really? _

_ What am I going to do? _ Hongjoong thinks, looking around. He knows that Seonghwa will be furious if he comes into his office smelling and looking the way he does, and he also is kind of scared of getting one of the human employees in trouble again, but he also doesn’t-

“Hongjoong?” a voice says, one that Hongjoong dreads more than anything right now. He looks sheepishly up at Seonghwa, his hair wet and plastered to his face as he tries to make himself even smaller. 

“Good morning, Mr. Park,” he squeaks. “I, um, I’ll just have to-”

“Go change,” Seonghwa says. “There are clothes that should be your size in there and you know where the showers are. By the time I get back, I expect you to have changed your clothes and left them in the laundry room. Just put them down the chute, it’s next to the fireplace. I’ll see you then,” he says before brushing past Hongjoong without another word. The cat hybrid gawks at him as he goes before looking down at the papers in his hands with wide eyes, then back at Seonghwa’s retreating figure. And then he decides that changing and showering is definitely better than being covered in coffee for the rest of the day, so he heads into the office and grabs the clothes. 

He’s changing when the door to the sort of lockerroom opens and Seonghwa walks in, holding a small white container in his hand. Hongjoong is halfway out of his shirt and he squeaks with embarrassment as Seonghwa takes his own turn to gawk, stopping mid-step as his hands fall to his sides. 

“H-Hongjoong!” he says, much more loudly than needed. His cheeks are very uncharacteristically red. “You - I brought burn cream!” 

Hongjoong nods quickly. 

“Thank you, sir,” he says, bowing his head in thanks, though it doesn’t really matter at all since Seonghwa’s already halfway out the door. Hongjoong stares after him before finally letting his shirt fall to the ground. He discards his pants and underwear next, tucking them into one of the lockers. He walks quickly to the showers, a towel wrapped around his waist, and rinses the coffee from his hair and fur, sighing with relief once it’s all gone. He gets out of the shower and stares at himself, then, touching his face with his hands. He has a red spot on his left forearm, but, other than that, he’s surprisingly unscathed. His tail swishes behind him and Hongjoong blow-dries his fur before getting out the clothes Seonghwa gave him. There’s a loose, slightly oversized gray turtleneck sweater and Hongjoong has to push the sleeves up to his elbows as he pulls on the black skinny jeans. He tucks the sweater in and does the belt, then he turns to the accessories. Seonghwa put in a pair of pretty pearl earrings and a long silver necklace as well as a pair of thin-framed silver spectacles. Hongjoong puts it all on and then combs his fingers through his hair, staring at himself in the mirror. There’s some makeup he can use and, somehow, it matches his complexion. He finishes it off with some glittery eyeshadow and a thin layer of lip gloss, grinning at himself before walking out. 

“Are you okay? I heard what happened, just wait ‘til I get my hands on that bastard,” Yeosang rambles when he sees Hongjoong. Hongjoong waves his hands and shakes his head. 

“No, no, no, it’s fine, really!” he says. “Mr. Park gave me some clothes to borrow-”

Yeosang snorts and crosses his arms, jutting his hip out and arching an eyebrow as he says, “You guys aren’t even the same size.” He tugs on the fabric of Hongjoong’s shirt, pinching it between his fingers. “Yeah, that’s something that he either bought or made. Quit lying to yourself, Hyung.” 

Hongjoong scowls, pouting and shaking his head. 

“None of that where anyone could be listening to us,” he whispers. Yeosang snorts. 

“Yeah, okay,” he says. His face falls. “But are you really okay? I mean, if he’s really bothering you, then you can totally bring it up to Mr. Park. Mingi and I will totally go with you if you-”

“No, it’s fine,” Hongjoong says. He takes Yeosang’s hands in his own and squeezes. “Thank you, though. I’ll see you at lunch.” Yeosang nods and Hongjoong turns to go, waving over his shoulder. He sits down and pulls out his tablet, flicking it to try and turn it on. 

Just then, Mingi comes in, tail wagging as he skips inside.

“Mr. Park just had this brought in for you,” he sing-songs as he places the box on Hongjoong’s desk. He frowns down at the broken tablet and then picks it up with his thumb and pointer finger, nose scrunched up as he tosses it in the waste bin. “See you at lunch, Hyung!” 

Hongjoong waves at him before he carefully uses his claws to cut the packaging of the box, slowly lifting the lid and setting it to the side. Inside, a new tablet sits, pristine and just-bought. 

_ Wow, _ Hongjoong thinks,  _ that was fast. _ He turns it on and sets it up, clicking through what he has to until he can log in and access the files he was looking at before. He opens his laptop as well, checking on the things he’s been sent as well as Seonghwa’s schedule for the day. He picks at his lower lip as he does so, resting his chin on his palm. Every so often, his eyes will stray to the sewing machine sitting on Seonghwa’s desk, something he must’ve gotten out while Hongjoong was talking with Mingi. He’s half-tempted to go and turn it on, maybe see how it works, though he also values his life, so he’d really rather not. 

Sighing, Hongjoong shakes his head and turns back to his work. The sound of his typing is soft and hard to notice in the otherwise empty office, and it’s a nice change to not have Seonghwa smoking in the room for once. Hongjoong ends up getting out of his seat to brew himself a cup of tea at some point, checking his BluScreen while he waits. However, before it finishes, two White Guards (Hongjoong is pretty sure that’s what they’re called, for no reason other than the fact that they dress entirely in white, from their helmets to their shoes) burst in. 

“Where is Seonghwa Park?” the one on the left demands. Hongjoong fiddles, looking around. 

“I’m - I’m just his assistant,” he says, looking down at his feet. “He - he went out a few - maybe a half hour ago. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“Give this to him when he returns,” the one on the right says, handing Hongjoong a small little information pill. They leave, then, though Hongjoong’s curiosity gets the better of him as he peeks out. 

What he sees makes him want to cry. Everyone is standing up as Mingi is hauled from his desk, his eyes wide and already welling with tears. Yeosang’s claws glitter where they’ve unsheathed themselves, though it’s not like he can do anything. Mingi walks quickly, his tail tucked fearfully between his legs with his ears pressed against his head. He hunches his shoulders as if it’ll make him any smaller, though he still continues to tower over the guards as they lead him out. 

“What happened? Where are they taking him?” Hongjoong says to Yeosang. The cheetah hybrid looks like he’s about to cry. 

“I don’t know,” he says. He wipes his eyes. “Fuck, Mingi isn’t the type - he doesn’t want to get involved in that stuff. They have no reason to take him.”

But really, the lack of a reason makes it better for the government. Hongjoong hates this so much. He hates how White Guards are sent into places such as schools or office buildings and how they simply take random hybrids out, never to be seen-

“Yunho. What about Yunho?” Hongjoong says. He grabs Yeosang’s biceps, staring into his eyes. “We - no, they can’t take Mingi. He hasn’t - he hasn’t done anything, and Yunho’s going to be devastated. Isn’t Mingi claimed? Mr. Park claimed him, they can’t take him, can they? Do you-”

“Hyung, they can take whoever they want,” Yeosang says. “They don’t care about Mr. Park. All they care about is that Mingi isn’t claimed and he’s a mutt and it’ll scare the rest of us. There’s no-”

“MINGI!” Hongjoong screams. Yeosang grabs him as tears stream down his cheeks. “Mingi, let him go! Bring him back!” 

There’s no answer and Hongjoong can feel his mind growing cloudy as his breaths begin to come in short breaths. “Mingi!” 

There’s still no answer. 

“Let me call - I have to tell Mr. Park, he’ll know what to do,” Hongjoong blabbers. He looks for his phone, patting his pockets. “Where is he? I need my BluScreen, where is it? Yeosang, Yeosang, we have to stop-”

“Hyung-”

“No!” Hongjoong says. “No, they aren’t taking Mingi. We can’t just sit by and let them have him, can we? No, we can’t. Now come on, help me - help me find Mr. Park because I swear to God, Yeosang, if you don’t help me than-”

“Hyung!” Yeosang cries as Hongjoong’s knees give out. Hongjoong sobs and screams at the same time, tears pouring down his cheeks as his lungs grab desperately at the air he somehow manages to inhale between screams. He curls up in a little ball on the floor of the hallway and rocks back and forth, shrieking the name of his best friend as if that’ll somehow bring him back. Yeosang wraps his arms around him - or so he thinks - but Hongjoong can’t be sure because he’s having a panic attack.

He at least has the presence of mind to notice when the murmurs of the crowd go quiet, though. Of course, it’s not like he can do anything about it as the crowd parts for a single person. 

“Move away from him, Mr. Kang. I’ll take it from here,” someone says, their voice honey-dripping and smooth. Yeosang’s warmth leaves Hongjoong and the cat hybrid cries out, making grabby hands as he looks around. He can hardly see anything through the glassy sheet of tears that blocks his vision. However, he can certainly smell Seonghwa’s cigarettes, wine, and cologne, all of them mixing together to create a scent that is embarrassingly relaxing. Hongjoong grabs two fistfuls of his shirt and presses his face into the crook of Seonghwa’s neck, releasing a shaky sob as he’s carried back into the office. Seonghwa lays him on the couch and dusts himself off, though Hongjoong grabs his wrist and sniffles. 

“Mingi,” he whimpers. “Mingi’s - they’re going to kill - to put Mingi down, aren’t they?” 

Seonghwa tenses before he shakes his head. 

“No, they won’t,” he says, brushing some hair from Hongjoong’s face. “I can guarantee that they won’t lay a finger on him. Trust me.” 

Hongjoong sniffles and nods. Just as Seonghwa goes to leave, though, he tightens his grip on his wrist and says, “My inhaler.” 

Seonghwa looks over at him. 

“My inhaler, can you get my inhaler for me?” he whispers. “Please, I really need it.” 

Seonghwa nods and Hongjoong lies back on the couch, sighing heavily and closing his eyes. 

When he wakes up, there’s a still-hot cup of tea on the table waiting for him. Hongjoong sits up and rubs his head, his face flushing as he remembers the day’s earlier events. 

_ I can’t believe I had a panic attack at work, _ he thinks. He sighs and gets up, grabbing the cup of tea and walking over to his desk. There’s a note there, written on a little piece of paper in swirling black ink. 

_Go home early. I won’t be back for a bit. I’ll see you tomorrow._ _  
__-Seonghwa_

Hongjoong picks it up and frowns, then he looks around the room. The office is empty and he wonders, then, just how long he was out for. 

_ I probably should go home, _ he thinks. He sighs and sits down, though, putting his head in his hands as he thinks about Mingi. 

“They’re going to kill him,” he says. “They’re going to kill my best friend even though he never even did anything. They’re going to kill Mingi and I’m going to have to tell Yunho.” A tear rolls down his cheek. “ _ Fuck. _ ” 

Somehow, though, Hongjoong manages to get up and grab his coat. He needs to leave. He needs to get out of here so he can plan. He just - he needs to escape. 

Hongjoong doesn’t sleep at all that night. All he can do is toss and turn as he thinks about Mingi and his missing inhaler, chewing on his lower lip. He doesn’t even manage to close his eyes for long enough to convince himself that he somehow gets a tiny bit of shut-eye. 

The next morning, Hongjoong barely gets to work on time and he even considers skipping. However, the moment he steps out of the elevator, he thanks every sort of deity there is for stopping him. 

Because sitting in his normal seat, at the desk with all of the little pictures of Yunho and himself, is none other than Mingi, working quietly. 

“Mingi?” Hongjoong says, drawing the dog hybrid’s attention away from his computer. Mingi looks up and grins, walking over and pulling Hongjoong into his arms. 

“Hey, Hyung,” he says. 

“Oh my God, it’s really you,” Hongjoong says as he buries his face into Mingi’s chest. “Holy shit, you’re actually  _ alive _ .” 

Mingi laughs. 

“Yeah,” he says. “They - well, they didn’t want to kill me, strangely enough, just ask a few questions. I did think I was going to die, though.” 

Hongjoong bites his lip and tries not to cry. Mingi hugs him closer. 

“It’s okay, Hyung,” he says quietly. “I’m here. I’m alive and I’m not going anywhere, promise.” 

Hongjoong sniffles as he pulls away, looking up at the other hybrid. 

“Are you really okay?” he says. Mingi laughs and grins down at him. 

“Yeah,” he says. He shrugs. “I mean, I’m definitely a bit shaken, but I’m okay. They didn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m really okay.” 

Hongjoong nods, wiping his eyes before he hugs Mingi one more time. 

“Okay,” he says. He tightens his hold on his best friend. “Okay, I love you.” 

Mingi laughs. 

“Love you too, Hyung,” he says. He pats Hongjoong on the head and scratches behind his ears. “Now get to work!” 

Hongjoong laughs weakly as he pulls away, waving over his shoulder as he walks off. 

When he gets to his and Seonghwa’s office, it is, once again, clear of smoke, and Hongjoong wonders if his boss is away until he looks up and finds the man sitting at his desk, working quietly. On Hongjoong’s own desk, though, his inhaler sits, a pretty black and white silk ribbon wrapped around it and tied in an equally pretty bow. 

“Kitty,” Seonghwa says as Hongjoong carefully pulls the ribbon off, “do you have asthma?” 

_ I have an inhaler, what do you think? _

“Yes, sir,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa hums curiously, nodding to himself as he opens his laptop and types something out. 

“Okay, noted,” he says. And then he gets back to work, and Hongjoong starts his day, unaware of the change about to take place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> luv u and thx for reading!


	7. Gala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a very important gala, and everyone's more or less invited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnnnng i'm so sorry this took so long I didn't even realize how long hongjoong's part was until I checked the date but uhhhhh it's a super long chapter so yay ig? also t/w on kind of . . . stripping, ig, but it's not descriptive or anything just kinda something mentioned

When Hongjoong comes in the next day, there’s a sort of hustle and bustle that he hasn’t seen often. In the midst of it, as always, is Seonghwa, fingers pressed to his earpiece as he barks orders at the workers rushing around. 

“What’s going on?” Hongjoong says to Mingi as the dog hybrid rushes by, glasses askew as he fumbles with his tablet. 

“Construction,” he says. “Uh - ventilation installation, that’s what Mr. Park called it. He says he’s getting-”

“Oh, aren’t we supposed to in an era of technology? Hurry up! You all said you can get things done in a day!” 

Mingi cringes, adjusting his glasses before shaking his head. 

“Yup,” he says, “that’s Mr. Park. Come on, get to work. He’s been pretty moody all day.” He pushes Hongjoong along and the cat hybrid rushes toward his boss, looking around. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Park, sir-”

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says, looking down at him, seeming rather surprised by his arrival. “Oh. What - you’re earlier than I thought you’d be.” He checks his watch and frowns. “Hm.”

“I - I’m-”

“No, no, none of that,” Seonghwa says, waving his hand. “I don’t have time for unnecessary apologies, just get a move on.” 

“Sir, where-”

“I said I wanted them in my office!” Seonghwa snaps. He sighs, pushing his hair back. “I hired you to do your jobs, not act like a bunch of extra incompetents in my office!” 

Hongjoong fights his snicker as he opens his bag and pulls out his tablet, scrolling through it. Seonghwa pulls something out of his pocket and Hongjoong expects the smell of smoke and sound of a lighter to follow, but, instead, a wrapper crinkles and Seonghwa shoves something into his mouth. Out of curiosity, Hongjoong looks up and finds his boss to be busily sucking away at a lollipop, frowning down at some papers in his hands. 

“Uh, sir, do you want me to get your cigarettes? I-”

Wordlessly, Seonghwa points at a sign. Hongjoong turns to look at it and finds a no smoking sign, glowing dimly in the office. He gawks at Seonghwa as the man walks away, taking out his lollipop to continue yelling at the people installing the ventilation system. 

“Mr. Park isn’t smoking in the office anymore!” Hongjoong cries the moment he gets into the breakroom. He looks around. “Everyone. Why aren’t you surprised? Mr. Park isn’t smoking!” 

Yeosang, Mingi, and Yunho all look up at Hongjoong, the three of them all wearing matching and very unamused expressions. 

“Yes, we know,” Yeosang says. He snorts. “He made quite a ruckus this morning when he came in with all that talk of installing the ventilators and having a no-smoking rule. I went to the bathroom and laughed for five minutes before Mingi came in and told me to get out before I got in trouble.” He snorts. “He likes you, easy.” 

“No - no, he doesn’t!” Hongjoong cries. “He - there’s nothing wrong with him installing ventilators to - for-”

“For your asthma?” Yeosang says, speckled tail swaying playfully behind him. “Mmm. Sure, that works. You certainly are  _ not _ his only asthmatic employee, even out of all of the people working on this floor, so why is he just installing them  _ now _ ?” 

Hongjoong scowls, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the cheetah hybrid. 

“I don’t know,” he says. “He’s just - I mean, you guys are the ones who always talk about how nice he is! Why don’t  _ you _ come up with a reason why?” 

“Hyung,” Yunho says, patting his hands, “we did. We’ve all come to the conclusion that he likes you and you’re just trying to deny it. Thank you for coming to our TED talk, now please sit down.” 

Hongjoong gawks at the golden retriever hybrid as he moves to the side and pats the seat next to him, turning back to Yeosang and Mingi. 

“Okay,” he says, “the gala is coming up, as you all know.” 

Hongjoong sits down as Yeosang and Mingi both nod, seeming strangely solemn. 

“And we all need to make our bets on when Mr. Park is going to ask Hongjoong-Hyung to accompany him, yes,” Mingi says, still nodding. 

“Stop nodding, you idiot, but yes,” Yeosang says, hitting the back of Mingi’s neck. “Anyway, I’m going to place my money on the day before.” 

Yunho pulls out a pad of paper (made from some sort of material that isn’t trees, though Hongjoong can’t remember what) and a pen, nodding and writing down Yeosang’s name. 

“How much?” he says. 

“Uh . . . let’s say 20 agutos, though I might up it later,” Yeosang says, shrugging. Yunho nods. 

“Mingi?” he says, turning to his boyfriend. The dog hybrid shrugs, hooking his chin over Yunho’s shoulder to look at the paper. 

“Dunno. I’d say tomorrow, 20 agutos too. Maybe, though I bet you have something up your sleeve, so . . . don’t - ah, dammit, Yu, I  _ told _ you not to write it down!” 

Yunho laughs, grinning mischievously. 

“I’m going to bet 40 agutos,” he says, pausing a bit for them all to hear the sound of quick footsteps coming their way, “right. This. Instant.” 

The door opens and Seonghwa stands there, stiff with a blank expression as he looks at all of them. 

“Ah,” he says, “Mr. Kang, Mr. Song, Yunho.” He nods. “Could you give us a moment alone?” His tone leaves no room for argument, though Hongjoong doubts that the others were ever planning to stay inside. As his friends file out of the room, Hongjoong can see and hear Yeosang and Mingi paying Yunho.

“Mr. Park?” he says. He gestures to one of the seats, standing up. “Would - would you like anything, sir?”

Seonghwa shakes his head and waves his hand, going to sit down on one of the smooth leather couches. He crosses his legs and drums his nails - they’re painted a simple black with a few silver swirls and speckles here and there - looking around the room. 

“I don’t come in here often,” he murmurs. He’s wearing all black today, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It’s a strangely simple outfit, composed by a black long-sleeve v-neck shirt that’s tucked into a pair of black jeans. His belt has the  _ VIPER _ snakes as the buckle, and his shoes are velvet black stilettos that look as if the fronts have been dipped in silver, small stars slowly fading as they try to climb up the sides. “It’s rather nice, though.” 

Hongjoong nods, standing awkwardly. Seonghwa arches an eyebrow at him and waves his hand at one of the chairs. 

“Sit down, will you? You seem far too awkward standing up,” he says. Hongjoong scrambles to obey, crossing his legs and twiddling his thumbs nervously. Seonghwa watches him carefully, his expression unreadable. His lip ring glitters, and Hongjoong kind of wants to bite it. 

“Is - is there anything you need, Mr. Park?” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa hums, looking at him curiously, before sighing and getting to his feet. 

“Come on. It’ll be best to do this in the office,” he says, beckoning toward Hongjoong for the cat hybrid to follow him. He turns and walks away and Hongjoong follows him, moving quickly. The construction for the ventilators seems to be finished now, and Seonghwa pulls out a lollipop to shove in his mouth as they walk. 

“How does it feel with the new ventilators?” Seonghwa says as he sits down, Hongjoong closing the door behind them. “Better, right?” 

Hongjoong nods slowly, standing in the middle of the office. 

“Yes, sir,” he says. “Thank you.” 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“It was nothing,” he says, kicking his feet up on the table. He presses his fingertips together and shrugs yet again. “You’re a good assistant. It’d be a shame to lose you so soon.” 

Something about his tone implies that Seonghwa expects Hongjoong to leave. Maybe not now, but soon at some point, Seonghwa thinks Hongjoong is going to leave. Psh. Doesn’t he know this is probably the best job Hongjoong will ever get?

“Thank you, sir,” he says, bowing. Seonghwa smirks and sits up, pulling his legs from the table and swinging them onto the ground as he leans forward and pulls his lollipop out of his mouth. 

“How’s your salary look?” he says, then, and Hongjoong is starting to wonder why exactly he thought it’d be better to be in the office to have this discussion.

“It’s - it’s great. Really, the best I’ve ever had,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa hums, pulling out his lollipop to run his tongue over it. 

“Mm, good,” he says. He grins toothily, showing off his sharpened teeth. “Enough small talk, though, we haven’t time for that.” He drops the lollipop in the trash and reaches for the pretty teacup sitting on the desk nearby, watching Hongjoong carefully. “I have . . . a proposal.”

Hongjoong blinks at him. 

“A proposal?” he says. Seonghwa nods. 

“As you know,” he says, “the annual Winter Gala is coming up, right?” 

Hongjoong nods and Seonghwa leans forward, putting his cup down and folding his hands together while he rests his elbows on the desk. 

“I am asking,” he says, pausing a bit (probably for dramatic effect), “you to accompany me.” 

“Me?” Hongjoong cries. Seonghwa stares blankly at him. “You - you wanna bring  _ me _ ?”

“No, Hongjoong, I actually have another employee named Hongjoong who came into the room while your back was turned and, despite your enhanced hearing, you missed their entrance. Yes, I’m talking to you. Why wouldn’t I bring my assistant?” 

Hongjoong’s jaw hits the floor as he stares at Seonghwa. The man arches an eyebrow. 

“What?” he says. “Aren’t you going to ask what the deal is and how it becomes a proposal?”

Hongjoong struggles to regain his composure as he nods quickly. Seonghwa snorts. 

“Well,” he says slowly, “I’d bring you along and you’d design your own clothes. Now, before you say anything, I think you’d like to know that I’ve seen all of your work before, and I’m willing to get you whatever you need as long as it’s done before the deadline. So, you’d get lots of publicity and I would promote the work myself, depending on what I think of it, and who knows? Maybe you’ll get your big break there, at the Winter Gala. So, what do you say? Are you coming or not?” 

Hongjoong blinks several times, trying to process the information that Seonghwa has just dumped on him. So he’s being offered a chance to go to the Winter Gala, something that’s exclusive to the elite (and only humans, though sometimes pets come along); he’d be able to show off his own work that none other than  _ Seonghwa Park, _ a fashion design mogul, to promote it as well; and then, of course, he’d get to go with Seonghwa himself. There are, at least as far as Hongjoong can see, no downsides to this. 

“What - what would you get in return, though?” Hongjoong says. “I know I’d be getting publicity and a chance to go to something that - well, I mean, I’m sure you know what I mean when I say this is most likely a simple fantasy for most other hybrids, and I’d get to live it out while showing off my own work.” He frowns, having listed his own wins on his fingers. “But what - what do you gain from this?” 

Seonghwa arches an eyebrow at him before he throws his head back and laughs. 

“Dear kitten,” he purrs in a way that is far too close to Hongjoong’s imagination, “I’m asking you because I want you to be there. In essence, I’m asking you to be my date. Companion, if that’s what you’d prefer to call yourself.” He shifts in his seat, pushing his hair back. “Nonetheless, I’m asking you to come with me in return for all that.” 

“But - but that’s nothing!” Hongjoong says. “I don’t - you don’t even have to ask me!” Seonghwa raises both eyebrows at that and Hongjoong feels the blood rush to his cheeks as he waves his hands and quickly tries to do some sort of damage control. “I - I mean that you don’t have to ask me because I’m your assistant so I don’t-”

“That would be a bit cruel, wouldn’t it?” Seonghwa says, checking his nails. “While I enjoy making the rules and being obeyed in  _ some _ scenes,” he looks up at Hongjoong and winks, “I find that dragging you to a gala would make me feel a bit too much like an asshole rather than a bitch.” 

Hongjoong splutters, stumbling over his words as Seonghwa pulls out his sewing machine and then gets up to open a closet. Inside, a mannequin stands, a sheet tossed over it to hide what it’s wearing. Seonghwa sits down, then, and flips through his sketchbook, chewing on his lower lip. When he notices Hongjoong still standing in front of his desk, he frowns and gestures toward the cat hybrid’s seat. 

“Don’t you want to get a move on with your design?” he says. “You do know that the gala is in a little more than a week, right?” 

Hongjoong is struck out of his stupor by the information, and he scrambles over to his desk, tripping over his tail in his haste to get there. He grabs the sketchbook from his desk (the one from Seonghwa’s gift basket that Yunho and Mingi gave him) and finds a pencil, flipping it open to a blank page. 

And then he finds that he doesn’t have a single idea. Nervously, Hongjoong looks over at Seonghwa, finding the designer to be completely lost in his own world. Hongjoong bites his lip and looks back down at the sketchbook before opening his laptop and looking through some of the designs he’s uploaded from his BluScreen photos. 

However, none of them feel right. And when he goes home to look through his old projects, he still remains to have no ideas at all. It eats away at him as he eats and later gets ready for bed, continuing to deny him any sleep as he tosses and turns, trying to come up with an idea. 

He tells Yeosang and Mingi the best day, but neither of them has any ideas. Or, if they do, they both refuse to give them to Hongjoong. 

“Hyung, he wants to see  _ your _ work,” Yeosang says. He glances at Mingi. “Look, I know it seems like we might be being a little harsh right now, but do you  _ really _ think you’d be okay with going in something that we gave you? Is that  _ really _ what you want to show Mr. Park?” 

Hongjoong bites his lip, then he sighs and shakes his head. 

“I just - I really don’t know what to do,” he says. “I’ve - I didn’t sleep at all last night, and now I just . . . I don’t know. It’s coming up in a week, isn’t it? And I don’t even have a design drawn out and there’s no telling how long it’ll take to make it and order the fabrics and-”

“You actually have eight days,” Mingi whispers loudly to him. Hongjoong groans and hits his head against the table. 

Seonghwa, at least, doesn’t say anything about Hongjoong’s lack of activity. He continues working on his own projects, too lost in his own work to notice how Hongjoong is struggling. But really, the cat hybrid thinks that makes it easier since he doesn’t have Seonghwa breathing down his neck. 

His idea comes to him three days before the gala, in the middle of the night. He jerks awake as the thought slams itself into his brain, demanding that he gets up to work on it. Hongjoong fumbles around for his glasses and sketchbook, flicking on the lamp on his bedside table as he grabs a pencil and presses it against one of the sheets of paper. He watches as the drawing comes to life, adding little notes here and there with neat arrows pointing to certain areas of the design. Hongjoong can’t help but grin as he works, already able to see what it’s going to look like in his head. 

When he gets to work the morning after, he has more energy than every other day in the rest of the week combined. Seonghwa seems to notice, arching a curious eyebrow at him when he rushes in, flipping open the book. 

“If you need anything, just send a message to Mingi. It should be here in the next hour or so, all right?” he says from his seat, not bothering to look up, though Hongjoong can still sense his smile as he nods and shoots Mingi a message. Several packages come in an hour later, Mingi grinning victoriously as he follows behind the delivery man. 

“Have fun, Hyung,” he says before he walks out. Hongjoong can’t help but feel like a little kid on Christmas morning as he uses his claws to gently open the packages, placing their contents on his desk. He still has his own measurements and he uses a special sort of chalk on the fabrics as he draws out what he needs and begins cutting. 

The next few days seem to pass in a blur as he and Seonghwa work on their separate projects. Hongjoong has fallen in love with his dress, growing more and more excited about wearing it with every day that passes. The night before the gala, he takes the mannequin home and Yeosang comes with him, Mingi joining them later with Yunho. They sit together in Hongjoong’s shitty apartment, talking and eating as Hongjoong works non-stop. 

“It looks really good, Hyung,” Mingi says. Hongjoong hums. “Are you excited?” 

“To go to the gala? Of course,” Hongjoong says as he continues checking the fabrics and accessories. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Yunho giggles and Hongjoong can see him roll onto his back out of the corner of his eye. 

“He means are you excited about going with Mr. Park,” he says. He giggles again. “I bet you are.” 

Hongjoong stops working, turning around to glare at his friends through narrowed eyes. 

“Just because-”

“If you say he doesn’t like you  _ one more time, _ I swear, I’m going to walk right out of this place,” Yeosang says. He sits up, sitting criss-cross and grabbing his ankles. “Hyung, why won’t you just admit it? It’ll be easier for everyone that way.” 

Hongjoong sighs, his shoulders slumping. 

“No, it won’t,” he says. “If we do start dating or something, then no one’s going to think I got in because of my talent. Everyone’s going to just - just  _ assume _ that Mr. Park helped me because he likes me.” He tugs on one of the sleeves. “And that’s just not true.” He stands up and takes a step back from the mannequin, grinning proudly at the  [ dress ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/815573813844543821/) before him. “What do you guys think?” 

Yeosang, Yunho, and Mingi all get up to look. 

“Wow,” Yunho says, the first to speak. “That - that’s amazing, Hyung. Did - did you really come up with that all on your own?”

Hongjoong blushes and laughs nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. 

“Well,” he says, “I’ve never - embarrassingly enough, I’ve never - I haven’t done anything with traditional clothing before, so it - it was a cool thing to try.” He nods. “I think, though, that this might be one of my favorite pieces. It looks really good, don’t you think?” 

“This blue will look really good on you,” Yeosang says. He steps forward. “May I?” he asks, reaching for one of the sleeves. Hongjoong nods, watching as the cheetah hybrid delicately pinches the fabric between his thumb and index finger. “The fabric is great too.”

“You know we don’t have work tomorrow?” Mingi chimes in. Everyone looks at him and he shrugs. “I mean, come on, guys, you knew that, didn’t you? But what I’m saying is that Hyung can get his dress remade if he wants to.” 

“Wait! Is Mr. Park coming to pick me up?” Hongjoong says. He looks around. “No, not here. I don’t want him coming here out of all places, it’s a mess. Where-”

“You can stay at my place if you want,” Yeosang says, shrugging. “I mean, we can’t go out now because of the curfew, but we can head over tomorrow morning. That should be fine, right?” 

“We’re coming too,” Yunho says, an arm slung over Mingi’s shoulders as his boyfriend nods, chocolate tail wagging.

Hongjoong nods. 

“Okay,” he says, blinking a few times. Damn, he’s . . . he’s  _ really _ tired, wow. “I think - I think I’m just gonna take a quick-” he yawns, stretching his arms over his head “-a quick power-nap, yeah? Okay, good night.” 

He’s woken by Mingi shaking him as he lies on the couch, staring up at his broken ceiling fan. 

“We have to go! We all napped until lunch, so there’s still time to get ready, but Yeosang’s place is kinda far. Come on, get up, Hyung!”

Hongjoong grunts and sits up, blinking tiredly as he looks around. Mingi helps him to his feet and Hongjoong is relieved to see that the mannequin has been packed up as well as his sewing things, though he hopes they weren’t put somewhere weird. 

“All right, here we go. We’ll get food at my apartment, come on, Hyung,” Yeosang says. Hongjoong hums and grabs his jacket on the way out, following Yeosang, Yunho, and Mingi. 

“Gosh, this is amazing,” Yeosang says as they pull out of the garage. “Can you believe it, Hyung? You’re going to the  _ Winter Gala. _ ” 

Hongjoong laughs. 

“No, I’m still waiting to wake up or for something bad to happen,” he says. Yeosang snorts. “I mean - well, I just - this is so weird. I never - yeah.” 

Yeosang laughs at him, shaking his head as they drive to his apartment. 

“Yeah, that’s a good expression of how we all feel right now,” he says. He sighs. “You’re so lucky, Hyung.” 

Hongjoong shifts. 

“Do you - has Mr. Park ever asked anyone to come with him before?” he says, eying Yeosang a bit nervously. The cheetah hybrid shakes his head. 

“No,” he says, “Mr. Park always likes to go alone. Or, well, he just - he was just always alone unless he didn’t have a choice, and we all just kind of assumed that as how he preferred things.” Yeosang turns to smile at him. “Until you came along, of course.” 

“What - what do you mean?” Hongjoong says. Yeosang laughs. 

“That day we thought Mingi was going to ‘disappear’, you remember how he sent you home early, right?” Yeosang says. Hongjoong nods. “He - the rest of the day, he was in a mood. He went back to get Mingi and found out that they were questioning him for that missing person thing, you know, and then he fired two people within less than . . . uh, maybe fifteen minutes. He only ever does that when he’s mad.” 

“When I met him-”

“He was also in a mood. Somebody had put us behind schedule and he’d just gotten back from going directly to their house to scream at them in front of their kids. Of  _ course _ , he was mad. Mr. Park hates it whenever people mess with his things.” He glances at Hongjoong. “If you ever want to get on his bad side, that’s all you have to do. Mess up his office, his schedules - anything. He hates that.” 

Hongjoong hums, nodding. 

“And then, since I know you’re going to argue that them taking Mingi interrupted his schedule, I’m going to tell you now that he actually makes clothes for you to borrow since you’ve messed them up so much.  _ And _ those ventilators were for you. For fuck’s sake, Hyung, you got him to stop smoking inside!” 

“Good for his health,” Hongjoong says. “He still drinks, though.” 

“Yeah, but he isn’t smoking. Do you know how much he tends to smoke in a day? How many cigarettes that is? One cigarette takes roughly five minutes to smoke, and he smokes nearly all day! Hyung, he  _ isn’t smoking _ ,” Yeosang cries. “Do you know how amazing that is?” 

Hongjoong opens his mouth to deny that it has anything to do with him, but Yeosang sighs loudly before he can, turning away from him. 

“Never mind. I think I’m going to be sick if I have to deal with your continuous denial of what’s going on right under your nose,” he says. Hongjoong snorts and sits back in his seat, turning to face the front. They’re entering one of the nicer hybrid districts now, though he isn’t very surprised - Yeosang definitely has money if he’s as high up as he is in the hierarchy of the  _ VIPER _ jobs’ list. 

“Here we are,” Yeosang says as he pulls into a garage. They get out and Yeosang opens the trunk, revealing Hongjoong’s mannequin. They lift the thing up and carry it out of the garage, Mingi and Yunho following behind with Hongjoong’s sewing bag. They go through the lobby and then into the elevator, heading up the elevator and then down the hall to Yeosang’s apartment. 

“Okay,” Yeosang says after they’ve gotten everything set up, “I’m going to order food. Someone start looking for a coat that matches the dress as well as some shoes. I’m thinking navy blue stiletto platforms, but-”

“Yes, agreed,” Mingi says. He grabs his BluScreen and scrolls through. “Hyung, what size coat and what size shoe are you?” 

“Uh-”

“Never mind, I know,” Mingi says before he can answer, waving his hand and turning back to the device. “Yeosang, what do you think about suede?”

“I’m down. Silk suede open-toed would also look good, though.”

“You know what? You’re totally right, and I just saw a pair with these silver little rhinestones all up the heels, yes, those are the ones. Now, what do you guys think-”

“Black Burberry trench coat,” Yunho says. “Hey, Yeosang, are you getting chicken?” 

“Do you even know me?” Yeosang says as he walks around the apartment, making either tea or coffee. “Yes, of course. Also, Hongjoong-Hyung, you should go shower. It starts at five but Mr. Park always likes getting there late, so he’ll probably pick you up at five-thirty. We need to do your makeup and get you dressed before then. Also, he’ll probably expect you to be waiting outside, so go and-”

Hongjoong rushes to the bathroom before Yeosang can finish speaking, cursing.

“Hyung! You should eat first!” Mingi yells after him just as there’s a knock on Yeosang’s door. The cheetah hybrid answers and the smell of fried chicken fills the place, much to Hongjoong’s relief. He sits on Yeosang’’s couch and eats until he’s full, then he finally scampers away to the bathroom. 

Hongjoong comes out smelling like narcissus flowers, scrunching his nose at the scent. However, he isn’t given any time to get used to it as Yeosang takes him into his room with the mannequin and starts helping him get dressed, clicking his tongue. 

“You used the deodorant, didn’t you? You don’t smell bad, but you might, so I just-”

“There was an extra stick, yeah,” Hongjoong says, nodding as he tugs on the skirts of his dress. He twirls in the mirror and grins at himself. 

“Come on, sit down, let me do your hair,” Yeosang says. “Mingi! Bring the makeup bag in here!” 

“Coming!” Mingi yells. Hongjoong sits with his hands squished between his thighs, his eyes shut as his friends fuss over him. Yeosang gives him a pair of  [ earrings ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159877855511116238/) and a set of rings to put on, continuing to fluff his curls. His fur is smoothed and combed, and then, all of a sudden, he’s done. 

“What do you think?” Yeosang says, placing his hands on Hongjoong’s shoulders and grinning into the mirror. The cat hybrid stares at himself, reaching up to touch his face. His eyes are surrounded by a light gold eyeshadow and his lips are shiny with gloss. His earrings glitter and his nails have been painted navy blue with little sparkles and rhinestones put on a few. Hongjoong’s hair, which is a dark brown, is soft and curly, framing his face in delicate ringlets. 

“Wow,” he breathes. Yeosang laughs and helps him up. 

“We did a good job?” Mingi says, his tail wagging excitedly. “Did we? Do you like it?” 

Hongjoong turns to pull both of his friends into a hug, though it’s a bit hard because of how much taller Mingi is compared to Hongjoong and Yeosang. Nonetheless, he manages to tug them both toward him, so he supposes it’s enough for him. 

“Thank you,” he says. Yeosang and Mingi both laugh as Yunho comes into the room, crying out excitedly at the sight of them and then wrapping his arms around all three of them to hug them. 

“Yunho,” Yeosang chokes out, “while I understand that you’re very happy right now, you are  _ crushing _ our  _ ribcages _ !” 

“Oh! Sorry!” Yunho says, letting go. Hongjoong grabs his inhaler while Yeosang lies down, staring at the ceiling. 

“What time is it, guys?” he says. 

“I’ll check,” Mingi says. His eyes grow wide and he claps a hand over his mouth. 

“What? What is it?” Hongjoong says. 

“It’s five twenty-nine,” Mingi says. “And we have yet-”

“Get out! Now, go, go, go!” Yeosang cries, pushing Hongjoong toward the door. The cat hybrid grabs his heels and shoes, running barefoot down the hall and toward the elevator. Once the doors open, he spots Seonghwa’s car pulling up in front of the building and he curses, walking quickly toward the door. 

When he gets outside, a harsh, stinging winter wind blows against his skin, and Hongjoong hisses, tugging his jacket closer to himself as he heads to the car. A chauffeur gets out and opens the door for Hongjoong, bowing as he steps in. 

Seonghwa is sitting inside, a lollipop in his mouth and a glass of champagne in his free hand as he looks at himself in a small compact mirror. His black hair is styled in its normal brushed-over-one-side fashion, his lips shiny under the golden lights of the car. He smiles at Hongjoong when he sees him, and his contacts are golden with black slit pupils, reminding Hongjoong of a viper’s. His nails are black claws with golden embellishments, long and rather sharp-looking. Hongjoong can’t see past his black coat, though he can see that he’s also wearing a pair of platform stilettos, though his are suede and black with golden linings. They’re also open-toed, and Hongjoong can see that his nails are painted in a similar fashion to his fingernails. 

“Hello, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says as Hongjoong sits down. 

“Good evening, Mr. Park,” he says. Seonghwa laughs. 

“Please, call me Seonghwa,” he says. “Tonight, I am not your superior, nor is anyone else. I am your companion, so please refer to me as such.” 

“Yes, sir - I mean, I’m sorry, yes, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa smiles warmly at him, patting his hand. 

“Good,” he says. “Now, let’s go, shall we?” He tries to look past Hongjoong’s jacket, moving his head around. “Will you show me what you designed? Or shall it be kept as a surprise until the gala?” 

Hongjoong giggles. 

“You’ll see when we get there,” he says. Seonghwa chuckles, still smiling and still sending countless butterflies into flight in Hongjoong’s stomach. “What about you?” 

Seonghwa laughs again, winking playfully. 

“ ‘You’ll see when we get there’ ,” he quotes, his voice teasing. Hongjoong snorts and shakes his head. 

“Using my own words against me, Seonghwa, is a low blow,” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa laughs and Hongjoong digs his nails into his palms to keep from cooing. Seonghwa turns to look at him, smiling warmly. 

“Oh, don’t act as if you wouldn’t do the same, would you?” he says. Hongjoong laughs, covering his mouth with his hand. Their banter continues as they drive and Hongjoong can’t help but feel at ease with Seonghwa. He’s actually rather witty and very funny, even a bit shy at times. And Hongjoong simply wishes for it to never end. 

Unfortunately, the car does stop in front of the giant hotel hosting the gala, and the chauffeur comes to open their door. Seonghwa gets out first, leaving his jacket, and Hongjoong flinches at the sounds of the cameras and the bright flashes, but then Seonghwa is turning around and holding his hand out to Hongjoong. 

“Shall we?” he says, smiling softly at Hongjoong. The cat hybrid swallows down his fear and takes his jacket off before he takes Seonghwa’s hand. 

“We shall,” he says. 

~

Soobin is gonna be honest here - he kind of hates himself a lot right now. More so than usual, is what he means, because he’s put the entire - the entire rebellion schedule or whatever behind because Chan is missing. When they get back, Seokjin comes to greet them, a scolding ready, but then he notices how they are lacking one person, and he falters, stopping. 

“Where - where is Chan?” he says, looking around. “Did he not-”

“He’s . . . uh, he’s kind of missing, Hyung,” Soobin says sheepishly. “He - we chased after that black mamba hybrid who was on the news and then we got to his apartment where we had to split up because Mr. Park’s assistant saw him without - I mean, sorry, he had his ears out so he saw him and then I was - I mean, then I went after him and I got on the train with him but his friend came and-” Soobin stops to take a breath “-and his friend took me to the police station where Chan-Hyung works so I called Yeonjun-Hyung, but, before he could get there, Mr. Park picked me up and took me back to the train station.” He shrugs. “So, that’s what happened.” 

Seokjin stares at him, his mouth hanging open.

“You - do you have anything that could lead to his location?” 

“I know where the apartment building is?” 

Seokjin sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“Okay,” he says. “Just - just go and - and rest or something, I don’t - I can’t deal with this right now.” He sighs again. “I - I know it isn’t anyone’s fault, I’m just - I’m sorry, this is just - it’s putting us behind and I don’t - just - yeah, I’m sorry, we’ll talk later,” he says. He walks off, then, and Soobin watches as he goes, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. Yeonjun wraps an arm around his shoulders, nuzzling the side of his neck. 

“He’s not mad at you,” he murmurs, pressing the words into Soobin’s skin. “He’s just stressed out. Chan is like his son. We all are, ‘cept for Namjoonie-Hyung. But he thinks of all of us as people he has to protect and take care of, so he gets really tense and stressed out whenever something bad happens to anyone.” 

Soobin hums, nodding absent-mindedly as they sit on his bed (when did they get here?). 

“Hyung,” he says quietly, “can I kiss you?” 

Yeonjun squeaks, surprised, and turns to face him. 

“Did - did you just ask if I could - I mean, did you just-”

Soobin shrugs. 

“I know you like me,” he says. He points to himself. “I like you too. Do you wanna kiss?” 

Yeonjun stares at him, arching an eyebrow. 

“You,” he says, “you like me?” 

Soobin snorts. 

“I don’t see anyone else in the room,” he says. He leans forward. “Well then?”

Yeonjun laughs. 

“Why Soobin,” he says, cupping the panther hybrid’s face, “if I’d known you were so bold, I would’ve made my move  _ ages _ ago.” 

Soobin laughs, leaning forward to press their lips together. Yeonjun’s fingers card through his hair and Soobin cages him in with his arms, leaning over him. Yeonjun’s lips are soft and sweet, though Soobin can’t remember seeing him eat anything sweet. Then again, he could’ve done it before he went out, but Soobin doubts he was awake enough to do so or that the taste would have lasted long enough for him to find it still on Yeonjun’s lips. To be honest, though, Soobin doesn’t really care.

He’s in the midst of pulling Yeonjun’s shirt off when they hear the door open and someone pad into the room. It’s Felix, his eyes red and puffy from crying as he sniffles. His ears twitch atop his head and he looks around sadly, wiping his nose. 

“Yeonjunnie-Hyung?” he says softly, his voice hoarse. Yeonjun sits up and Soobin lets go of his shirt, both of them looking worriedly at the cat hybrid. Felix has a white down blanket wrapped around himself like some sort of cloak, trailing behind him. 

“What is it, Felix?” Yeonjun says. “You okay?”

“Wan’ - don’t wanna be alone anymore,” he mumbles. He kicks his blanket. “Can - can we watch a movie or somethin’?” 

Yeonjun nods, getting up and dusting himself off. 

“Sure, why not?” he says. He wraps an arm around Felix’s shoulders and tugs the cat hybrid close, nosing the top of his head. Soobin gets up to follow them and they soon end up in the breakroom, all piled together. Taehyung comes in and wiggles around on the ground until he gets comfortable, striped tail curled around Felix’s ankle. Halfway through the movie, Beomgyu and Taehyun come in. They sit on the couch but the rest of them have to pause the movie because the kissing sounds are getting too loud. 

“Can you  _ not _ ?” Yeonjun says. Beomgyu is sitting in Taehyun’s lap, completely smothering the wolf hybrid, and it doesn’t look like they’re planning on stopping anytime soon.

“Hey!” Yeonjun says, getting up. “Quit-”

Jongho walks in, stops, clenches his fists, and then screeches, “EE-Y _ AP _ !”

Taehyun and Beomgyu both jump away from each other and Jongho looks proud of himself as he lies down on the ground, sighing heavily. 

“That, sir,” Beomgyu turns around to say, “was very rude.” 

“So was making out in front of Fe- I mean, in front of  _ us _ . Yeah, don’t make out in front of all of us, it’s gross. No one wants to see that, you two,” Taehyung scolds. 

“Don’t act like you and Jeongguk-Hyung aren’t just as bad if not worse,” Taehyun grumbles under his breath. Taehyung gasps, bringing a hand to his chest, though it seems like everyone else can’t withhold their snickering. 

“You all are in cahoots against me, aren’t you?” Taehyung says dramatically. It makes the rest of them laugh harder, the sound of tails hitting the ground joining in. It isn’t long before the movie is forgotten and they turn to teasing each other and play-wrestling, laughing and talking loudly. It’s enough that Soobin manages to forget about Chan and the rest of his problems, simply happy to have fun with his friends. 

Until, of course, Yoongi comes into the room, Jimin holding his hand. 

“Soobin-ah,” the older of the two cat hybrids says, his breathing strangely heavy, “where was - where’s the building that Chan disappeared into?” 

Soobin feels like a basket of ice-cold water (named reality) has been poured over his and everyone else’s heads. He stares at Yoongi, stupid and open-mouthed like a dead fish at the market, unable to answer. 

“What happened to Chan?” says Taehyung, the first to react. “Soobin? What - what-”

“Channie-Hyung’s missing?” Felix whispers. “He - he’s missing?” 

Soobin turns to look at him slowly. 

“He - yeah,” he chokes out. “Chan-Hyung is missing.” 

The room is very quickly thrown into a loud, demanding sort of uproar that makes Soobin’s head hurt. Jongho and Taehyung both begin peppering Soobin with questions while Yoongi tries to get the building number or address out of him, though the scariest of all is Felix. The cat hybrid sits quietly, staring ahead at something that the rest of them are unable to see. His ears and tail twitch randomly, but Soobin isn’t at all reassured by the movements as he slowly reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder. 

“Felix?” he says quietly. 

The cat hybrid spasms then he turns to look at Soobin. His eyes are glazed over, his expression blank. 

“I - we have to find him,” he says. “We have - we have to find him, where is he? He could be alone, he could be scared, he could be in trouble - we have-”

“Felix-”

The cat hybrid springs to his feet, leaving his blanket behind as he scrambles away. The rest of them follow and Soobin guesses that the others have just gotten home because they all rush right by Hyunjin, Jeongin, Seungmin, and Changbin in their haste to get to Felix. 

“Felix?” Yoongi says, pressing his ear to the door. It seems to be locked. “Don’t make me use my code on this door. I can have-”

He’s interrupted by a sudden crash and something breaks in Felix’s room. Yoongi curses and lifts his wrist, pressing a few buttons on the Mini-Tablet there before some sort of 3D diagram of the shelter is shown. He picks one of the rooms until he finds Felix’s door, tapping on it and then his fingers move so fast that Soobin hasn’t a single clue what he typed. However, whatever it was, it seems to do the trip because Felix’s door literally  _ disintegrates _ right in front of them, revealing a very distraught cat hybrid in the middle of a very destroyed room. His claws are out and have torn his blankets into shreds, and his wardrobe has been turned onto its side. There are claw marks in the material, and Soobin can see the remains of several glass bottles on the ground. 

“Felix,” Yoongi says gently, “why don’t you come out?”

“Channie-Hyung,” Felix blurts. “Channie-Hyung - I - we fought and now - and now he’s missing and I shouldn’t have said anything, I should’ve just-” he sniffles and wipes his nose “I should’ve - I should’ve kept my big dumb mouth shut and then I wouldn’t have scared him into such an impromptu break.” A tear rolls down his cheek. “ _ Fuck, _ I’m sorry, guys, I shouldn’t - it’s all my fault.” 

“How is it your fault, sweetie?” Seokjin says, coming seemingly out of nowhere. They all step aside for the phoenix as he opens his arms for Felix, smiling softly and invitingly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I scared him  _ away _ ,” Felix sobs. “It’s all my fault. I was - I’m so fucking  _ stupid _ , I should’ve just - I shouldn’t have called him that night, then he wouldn’t have run. I’m sorry guys, I’m so sorry.” 

“Oh, Felix,” Seokjin says. He steps around the mess that Felix’s room has become and pulls the cat hybrid close to him. “There’s no need to be sorry.” 

Felix stifles a sob, pressing his face into Seokjin’s shoulder. The older hybrid strokes his hair, cooing softly. 

“Come on, dear, let’s go get you to bed. Yoongi, can you fix his room? I’m going to bring him to me and Joon’s room for a nap. I’ll see you all at dinner, then we can talk more about what we’re planning to do about Chan, hm?” 

Everyone nods and Seokjin smiles, wrapping an arm around Felix’s shoulders and guiding him out of the room. 

Slowly, they begin to disperse as Yoongi and Jimin remain to work on some sort of technological thing that’ll help clean Felix’s room. As Soobin goes to leave, though, Yoongi stops him. 

“Stay here, Soobin,” he says without looking up from what he’s working on. “We’ll try and work on finding Chan once I’m finished with this. Don’t worry, I doubt it’ll take long.” 

Soobin nods, twiddling his thumbs as he stands to the side. As Yoongi said, it doesn’t take long for Felix’s room to be put back in order, and then they’re heading down to Yoongi and Jimin’s room, though Soobin’s never been inside before. 

“Here we are,” Yoongi says as the door slides back. “Jimin-ah, do you know-”

“It’s on your desk, Gi. If not there, then check your bag,” Jimin says as he climbs onto the bed. Yoongi smiles and walks over, kissing his cheek before he heads back to his desk. There, a very high-tech (or so it seems to Soobin, though don’t quote him on it) laptop sits, connected to all sorts of devices. Yoongi sits down and unplugs a few of them while connecting a few more, though, to Soobin, it’s all the same. 

“Come over here, yeah?” Yoongi says. The panther hybrid steps around the mess of clothes and equipment on the ground, heading over to the desk. Yoongi opens the computer and grabs a pair of glasses, typing in the password at record speed. 

“Okay,” he says, turning to Soobin, “do you know the address? Maybe the building number, though I won’t be mad if you don’t. But, well, hell, even a resident is good. You know any of those?” 

“Hongjoong Kim,” Soobin blurts. Jimin looks up and Yoongi arches an eyebrow. “Hongjoong Kim, he’s Seonghwa Park’s assistant? He-”

“Yes, I know, don’t worry,” Yoongi says, waving his head. He types in the name on the little search bar, chewing on his lower lip. Jimin walks over, probably curious about how this could involve Hongjoong. 

“When did you meet him?” he says. “Hongjoong, that is.”

Soobin laughs nervously. 

“Uh, we’ve . . . run into each other a few times here and there,” he says. Technically, it isn’t a lie, but rather an omission of the  _ full  _ truth. But, also technically, you can lie by omission, so Soobin supposes he still isn’t telling the truth.

However, Jimin seems to be satisfied with the answer as he nods and turns back to Yoongi and his computer. The older cat hybrid has found the building and he pulls up a picture, turning around to look up at Soobin. 

“Is this it?” he says. The panther hybrid leans forward and studies the building before nodding. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Do - um, do you know what floor-”

“Psh, duh,” Yoongi says. He types in a few things and then Hongjoong’s apartment door appears. He looks back at Soobin again. “Uh, is this where-”

“No,” Soobin says. He shifts in place. “Uh, I actually may or may not only know the building and nothing else?” 

Yoongi very promptly slams his head against the desk. 

“Well then, please ignore that,” he says, pointing to the red spot on his forehead. “Anyway, I’ll figure it out. Thanks, though. It’s a lot easier than having to search through the entire - the entire I dunno. The city. Yeah, let’s go with that.” 

“You should probably lie down,” Jimin says gently. He turns and smiles warmly at Soobin. “We’ll see you at dinner?” 

Soobin nods, trying to smile as he nods and slowly begins to exit the room, waving at them. 

“See you at dinner.”

The search for Chan is uneventful and it grows more frustrating as the days pass. More people begin coming to the shelter for some sort of meeting or whatever, but Namjoon continues to put it off. The enter shelter is tense as they wait for the answers to their questions, though it feels like it’s all in vain. 

Soobin can at least de-stress with his friends and (sort of?) boyfriend. They have yet to make anything official, though Yeonjun does come to cuddle with him before bed more often. And really, it’s nice. Soobin likes being able to feel his stress fade away when he’s with Yeonjun. They can talk or they can sit in silence, though neither of them are uncomfortable with either option. Soobin craves the time they spend together and he looks forward to going to bed even more now that he knows he and Yeonjun will get to cuddle. 

However, he always feels guilty whenever he sees Felix. The cat hybrid stays in his room most of the time, choosing to hide from the guests and everyone else. Seokjin will sometimes coax him out with the promise of a movie or something, but he definitely does prefer to stay in his room. It’s like having another Minho. 

Soobin is walking around the shelter when it happens. The talking suddenly stops as does everyone’s movements, and they all begin to step aside for someone coming down the corridor. Soobin can smell the smoke and the reptile as Namjoon walks slowly down the hallway, the sound of his cane mixed in with the dragging of his tail. His wings are huge and covered in sapphire scales with bits of gold, and they loom over both their owner and everyone else in the hall. His horns come from the top of his head and are smooth, jet-black, and curved with gold bands around them. The scales around the outside corners of his eyes look a bit like makeup at first, though, as he gets closer, Soobin can see that they’re part of his skin. His eyes are soft, honey-gold with round pupils, though his teeth are still extremely sharp. Smoke pours from his nostrils, though Namjoon doesn’t seem to notice as he walks up to Soobin and places something in the other hybrid’s hand. 

“Don’t fuck this up, kid,” Namjoon says, his voice low and foreboding. He then continues to walk through the hall, bare feet making soft sounds over the sleek floor of the institution. He has a lot of jewelry on, with several piercings in all four of his ears and a few bracelets on his wrists and ankles. His clothes are loose-fitting and made to allow him as much room for movement as possible. Everyone keeps out of his way and Seokjin follows along, looking a bit annoyed and mumbling under his breath as he chases his husband. 

“Joonie, come back,” he says half-heartedly. 

“I’m going to visit Jisung,” Namjoon says back. Seokjin hums and slithers past the people to nuzzle him. Namjoon kisses the top of his head, sighing happily, and they continue walking to the infirmary together. Soobin watches them go, and then he looks down at the small slip of paper placed in his hand. Written in slightly smudged cursive is an address and time, along with Chan’s name. 

“You mean we’re going to get Chan-Hyung?” Hueningkai says. “Us?”

“And we’re bringing Felix, obviously,” Yeonjun says as he fits the netting over his ears. He turns to face Hueningkai. “What? You  _ never _ get out of here, especially in the winter. Isn’t it boring?” 

Hueningkai shrugs before he shakes his head. 

“No?” he says. “I mean, I have my friends and my boyfriend and as much food as I want, so I’m fine. I don’t think it’s that bad, really.” 

Yeonjun snorts, shaking his head as he begins to wrap his tail. 

“You guys are lucky,” he grumbles. “You don’t have this big-ass tail to cover.”

“Well, I have to wear a layer of inch-thick makeup-”

“Is it thicc with four c’s?” Beomgyu says. 

“No, five. Anyway, before I was so  _ rudely _ interrupted, I was talking about my  _ thicc _ makeup to cover my scales. And then I have-”

“We’re gonna go get Channie-Hyung?” Felix suddenly says as he opens the door. Yeonjun finishes with his tail and nods, offering the cat hybrid a thumbs-up. Felix shrieks happily and rushes over to hug Soobin, purring loudly. Soobin hugs him back but, when he opens his eyes, he can see Yeonjun tensing in place. Felix doesn’t seem to notice it as he butts his head against Soobin’s chest, continuing to purr before he finally steps back and Yeonjun seems to relax. 

“Let’s go!” he cries, pointing toward the door. Beomgyu chases after him, Taehyun following and stopping to grab Hueningkai on his way out. 

“You okay?” Soobin says, walking over to Yeonjun. The fox hybrid snorts. 

“You smell like cat,” he grumbles, pressing his face into the crook of Soobin’s neck. “You, sir, should _ not _ smell like a cat when I am a  _ fox _ .” 

Soobin hums, turning around to nuzzle the side of his face. 

“Felix just needed someone to cuddle,” he says.

Yeonjun hmphs as he squeezes Soobin’s hand, scowling as they walk out together. 

Surprisingly, the sun is already setting when they get to the car. Taehyun has become their designated driver, claiming that he doesn’t trust anyone with his safety other than himself and Jongho. 

(Beomgyu had pouted at that, crossing his arms over his chest and saying in a way he must’ve thought was cute, “But what about  _ me _ , Taehyunnie?” 

Taehyun had snorted, shaking his head and patting Beomgyu’s thigh. 

“Absolutely not.”)

“Here’s the address,” Soobin says, leaning forward to hand it to Taehyun. The wolf hybrid hums and presses a few buttons on the screen, claws making soft sounds as they touch the glass. Beomgyu is looking around curiously, watching the map appear. 

“So this is where Chan-Hyung is?” Taehyun says as they begin to drive. Soobin nods. 

“That’s what I think,” he says. “I mean, I don’t know for sure, but I think it is. And I hope it is.” 

Taehyun snorts, shaking his head as he slaps Beomgyu’s hand away from the radio. Then the older male pouts at him and Taehyun sighs, gesturing to the radio. 

[ _ We Go (Bang Chan, Changbin, HAN) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdUFFHbJ2U)

They drive through the city, and the sun continues to sink further into the horizon. Taehyun pulls out a random pair of sunglasses when the sun begins getting in their eyes, though, once Beomgyu begins complaining, he silently hands them over and keeps driving. 

Felix, the entire time, is thrumming with very badly-concealed excitement. He’s unable to stop smiling and Soobin begins to wonder if he can even see anything when he accidentally smashes his head against the headrest of Beomgyu’s seat. It’s cute, though, so he gets a pass.

However, once they arrive at their destination, all of that previous excitement is gone, and Felix’s eyes grow wide with dread. 

“Is - is this it?” he chokes out, pointing at the brightly-lit building.  _ Utopia _ is clearly some sort of club, and Soobin is beginning to plan on leaving Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Hueningkai in the car. 

“Yeah,” Taehyun says. He frowns. “I don’t - I don’t think Chan-Hyung would be here, though. It doesn’t seem like it’d be his kind of scene.” 

“Well, his disappearance wasn’t exactly voluntary,” Soobin says, shrugging. He looks around. “Uh, Huening, Taehyun, and Beomgyu, why don’t you guys stay in the car? It-”

“We’ve had sex before,” Beomgyu deadpans, gesturing to himself and Taehyun. The wolf hybrid scowls and hits his arm. 

“Don’t say that!” he hisses. 

Beomgyu sticks his tongue out. 

“What’re you gonna do?” he says. “Spank me?” 

Taehyun scoffs, arching an eyebrow. 

“As if I haven’t before?” he says. Beomgyu turns bright red and Hueningkai shrieks, slapping both of them. 

“Shut up! Shut up, oh my God, I don’t want to hear about your sex lives! I can already hear enough when I walk by!” he screams. Taehyun laughs while Beomgyu and Yeonjun both cackle, though Felix is still staring fearfully at the club. 

“Hey, you wanna-”

“No,” he says firmly. He locks eyes with Soobin. “Let’s go get Chan-Hyung.” 

Already, there’s a line in front of the club. The bouncer checks IDs, though he stops when he gets to Soobin, Yeonjun, and Felix. 

“You three are the ones the boss said to look out for,” he says gruffly. Felix, Soobin, and Yeonjun, all look curiously at each other before turning their attention back to the bouncer. “Well, he’s not too keen on giving him what you want, so you’ve gotta entertain him for a bit.” He looks around. “Go in, someone should be waiting for you at the front.”

There is, in fact, someone waiting for them. A thin cheetah hybrid stands by the door, looking carefully at the crowd as he presumably searches for Soobin and his friends. 

“Soobin Choi?” he says when he spots the panther hybrid. Soobin nods and the hybrid holds his hand out, smiling stiffly. “I’m Yeosang. Nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you too?” Soobin says. He looks around. “We-”

“I know what you’re here for, don’t worry,” Yeosang tells them, waving his hand. “Uh . . . I can’t exactly . . . I can’t tell you where he is, though.” 

“Why not?” Yeonjun says. Yeosang shrugs. 

“He’s like that sometimes. Also, you guys should probably split up.  _ Utopia’s _ a pretty big club.” 

“Is he on the first or second floor? You can at least tell us that, right?” Soobin asks. 

“For the second floor, you’ll need disguises. They only let dancers and waiters go up there, or you have to have a pass,” Yeosang says. He looks around. “I can help you with that.” 

“Okay,” Felix says. “Help us with the disguises then.” 

Soobin adjusts his apron, looking around the club. Yeonjun comes out beside him, his tray tucked under his armpit as he looks around. 

“Damn,” he says. “This place  _ is _ big. Wonder who ‘the boss’ is, huh?” 

Soobin hums and nods, looking around and trying to spot Chan, though he doubts he’s on the first floor. Already, the place is packed full of people, and it’s making him antsy as they wait for Felix. However, they don’t-

“Be careful out there, yeah?” Yeosang says to the cat hybrid as he leads him out. Felix nods, hugging him and adjusting the silk robe he’s wearing. His heels make him taller than Yeosang, but Soobin and Yeonjun still have a few inches on him. He turns to the other two hybrids. 

“All right,” he says, “let’s go.” 

“It’s still okay to turn back and wait in the car,” Soobin whispers to him as they head up the back staircase. “You don’t have to do this.” 

Felix shakes his head. 

“No, I do,” he says. “I have to apologize to Chan-Hyung for what I said, and I want to be able to make sure he’s okay. This is important to me.” He turns to Soobin and offers a lopsided smile. “But thank you for worrying about me.” 

[ _ Wow (Lee Know, Hyunjin, Felix) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQXv864OnXc)

Soobin shrugs, just as they reach the second floor and go their separate ways. Yeonjun kisses Soobin once before they leave, heading around to take orders from the rich patrons scattered around the lounge. There seems to be one central area with a stage and a pole (gross), though the beaded curtains around it obscure the area’s inhabitants too much. Soobin decides that’s where he wants to go. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Soobin spots Felix heading towards the same place. As he walks by, people touch and talk to him, yet he simply smiles flirtatiously and continues moving. Yeonjun is serving a table of older men, chatting with them as he places their drinks on the table. 

A hand grabs him by the apron, and Soobin turns to face the owner. 

“Love potion cocktail, please,” the woman says. She points at a person sitting in the closed-off area. “But not for me. Bring it to Mr. Park, will you?” 

Soobin nods, taking the money she gives him and then walking over to the bar. After ordering, he turns to stare at the space where Mr. Park is supposed to be, furrowing his brow as he tries to find him. 

Seonghwa, however, finds him first. He walks out, heels making him taller than Soobin as he withdraws his cigarette from his mouth and sits next to him at the bar. He doesn’t say anything, simply drumming his nails on the table as he waits for the bartender to notice him. Once the woman is finished making the drink, she gives it to Soobin and turns to Seonghwa. 

“That’s for you,” she says when she sees him, pointing at the drink in Soobin’s hand. Soobin offers it to the designer who laughs, taking the toothpick and using his teeth to pull the raspberries off. He winks at Soobin as he walks off, cigarette left in an ashtray on the table. 

But that isn’t Soobin’s focus anymore as a very familiar figure steps onto the stage in Seonghwa’s little space. Felix looks around, ears twitching as he moves to the music. He seems deaf to the crowd as he looks around through his eyelashes. Soobin stills by the entryway, pinching himself to keep from letting his jaw drop as Felix begins undoing his robe. 

_ Chan-Hyung, _ he thinks.  _ I have to find Chan-Hyung, then I can get over the fact that Felix is stripping. _

He shakes his head, adjusting his tray before he walks into the lions’ den. Men and women sit on some of the smaller couches, but there’s a sort of booth full of pretty boys and a few girls, all of them trying to catch the attention of one person. 

And, of course, that one person is none other than Seonghwa Park. He catches Soobin’s eye and winks, putting his drink down and tilting his head to the side. Soobin’s gaze follows until he spots a near-empty table. There, Chan sits. His knuckles are white where he holds his drink while his freehand has turned into a fist as he watches Felix with an unbreaking stare. The cat hybrid somehow seems to have yet to notice.

“Chan-Hyung?” Soobin whispers as he walks over, nudging Chan with his hip. The wolf hybrid jumps, spilling his drink as he looks over. He’s dressed better than Soobin’s ever seen him before, wearing a crisp white button-down and black slacks. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his hair has been combed, though his ears are still hidden under the netting. However, his eyes glitter gold even under the dark, red lights of the club. 

“Soobin,” he says, surprised. “You - is this a rescue mission?” 

“More or less,” Soobin says. He tugs on his wrist. “Come on. If we walk by, Felix will see you. Come on, let’s go get Yeonjun-Hyung.” 

Chan nods, standing up and still refusing to take his eyes off of Felix. Felix, however, stumbles when he finally notices, and Soobin has to tighten his grip on Chan’s wrist to make sure he doesn’t rush to the stage to help him up. 

“You are a police officer,” he hisses. “A very famous and well-known one at that. He’ll be fine. Come on.” 

Chan whimpers very quietly but obeys, and Soobin releases a quiet sigh of relief. They find Yeonjun not long after, and, coincidentally, Felix’s song ends and he hobbles off of the stage. 

“We’ll be in the car,” Yeonjun says, taking Soobin by the hand. He looks toward the room where Felix went. “You guys should talk.” 

Chan nods, shifting uncomfortably. 

“Thank you,” he says as they leave. Soobin smiles and hugs him. 

“It’s good to have you back, Hyung,” he says. And then, they head out. 

~

It feels like Chan waits an eternity for Felix to come out. When he does, though, he’s limping, a hood pulled over his head. Chan rushes forward to help him walk before he can remind himself that they’re not talking, but at least Felix seems to forget too. 

“Hey,” Chan says, wrapping an arm around Felix’s waist and helping him up, “what happened up there?” 

“I was a stripper before?” Felix says. “I used to - yeah. I was a stripper, then a prostitute, and then you guys found me. So yes, I know-”

“No, your ankle,” Chan says. “You’re limping.” 

Felix sucks in a breath through his teeth and looks down, lifting his left leg. 

“Yeah, just rolled it,” he says, though Chan can see, despite the dark lights of the room, that Felix’s ankle is swelling rather rapidly. 

“ ‘Just rolled it’ ,” he mocks, shaking his head. Felix snorts a slightly breathless laugh, leaning his weight against Chan as they hobble toward the staircase. As they go, Seonghwa catches Chan’s eye and nods in approval before getting up himself. He walks quickly toward the main staircase, thankfully avoiding them. Nonetheless, Chan watches him carefully, waiting for him to change his mind. 

“Hyung?” Felix says softly. 

Chan looks over, though he’s unable to hold Felix’s gaze for long. 

“Let - we should talk at-”

“No.” Chan continues walking but Felix stops, though Chan still manages to drag him a little bit even after he plants his feet on the ground, though he’s also wearing heels and his ankle is all messed up. “Hyung, I know you won’t want to talk when we get back.” 

Chan looks around, sighing to himself because he knows that Felix won’t budge on this one. He can see the determination in his eyes as he stares at him, his gaze firm and unwavering, much unlike Chan’s. He feels skittish, embarrassingly enough, but he knows he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. 

“Okay, fine,” he says. He looks around. “Let-”

“Are you two looking for a private room?” someone suddenly says, making both hybrids jump. Seonghwa stares down at them both, his eyes dark and curious. Felix has gone completely still beside Chan while the wolf hybrid stares up at the designer. 

“Yes, please,” he says, nodding. “Could you show us one?” 

Seonghwa grins, showing off his sharp teeth before he turns around, snapping his fingers. Someone hands them a keycard and then Chan leads Felix away, finding a room and swiping the keycard.

“It smells like sex in here,” Felix says, crinkling his nose. Chan helps him sit on the bed as he heads to the bathroom, splashing water on his face before looking for a first-aid kit. 

He doesn’t find anything, and he can guess that Felix is getting impatient, so he heads back out. Felix has dropped his heels on the ground and is staring at his swollen ankle with more focus than Chan would think necessary. 

“All right,” he says, sitting down, “let’s talk.” 

Felix looks up at him. His makeup is really nice, but it covers his freckles. And, before he can stop himself, Chan is licking his thumb and then reaching out to rub the makeup off of Felix’s face. 

“Your freckles were covered,” he says, shrugging and trying to act casual. Felix stares at him curiously, large eyes blinking owlishly before he leans forward and kisses Chan. 

His lips are soft and a bit chapped. But mostly soft, very soft, and they taste a little bit like some sort of sugary treat, maybe from his lip balm or something. Lip gloss? Chan doesn’t know. He’s just happy that he’s kissing Felix, about the press of their lips against each other. He thinks he could kiss Felix forever if he had any control over the situation. 

Alas, they still need to actually talk. Everyone knows that kissing or fucking things out doesn’t often help. So, despite how much he hates it, Chan gently pushes Felix away, cupping his face with his hands and brushing away some of his hair.

“Hey,” he says. He kisses Felix’s nose. “That’s not talking, sunshine.” 

“I like you,” Felix blurts. He looks up at Chan through his eyelashes. “I - ever since - ever since that day in the infirmary, when I first came here and then you sat with me be-because we were both from Australia, I’ve - I’ve always had a crush on you.” He twiddles his thumbs, pulling away and looking down at his hands. “I - I thought, at first, that it - that you thought of me as a little brother only, so I didn’t - so I didn’t think you liked me back, obviously, since I know you’re not - not a weirdo about that or whatever. I, um, well, I actually - um, I think I just came to the conclusion one day that you liked me? I dunno, it just - you treated me differently from everyone else and I just - I just kinda assumed?” He shrugs and wipes his eyes. “But, uh, also, you just - you always seemed to distance yourself if anything ever happened, so I kind of assumed - well, I mean, I just - I got confused and didn’t - didn’t really know if you liked me back or if I was just being delusional or something, but-” He cuts himself off, sighing heavily and putting his head in his hands. “ _ Fuck,  _ sorry, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

Chan chuckles, kissing his cheek. 

“It’s okay,” he says gently. “You’re cute when you ramble.” 

Felix turns even redder, his skin heating up when Chan kisses his cheek again. 

“Hyungie,” he says softly when Chan pulls away, “what are you afraid of?” 

Chan stays quiet, staring blankly at the space ahead of him. 

“I don’t want - I don’t want you to get hurt,” he says quietly. “I just - I - Woojin is - what happened with him, it’s all my fault. I’m the one-”

“Chris,” Felix interrupts, grabbing him and squishing his cheeks, “did you  _ ever _ hit me?” 

“No?”

“And did you ever force Jisung and Hyunjin into a situation where there was a bomb that Jisung threw himself in front of?” 

“No?” 

“Did you ever make any of us feel unsafe?” 

“No,” Chan says. Felix sits back, nodding and smiling. He brushes a strand of hair away from Chan’s face. 

“So why is it your fault, then?” he says. “You didn’t bring Woojin in to abuse or hurt anyone. You thought he was a good person. He manipulated you into thinking that, and it’s not your fault that he succeeded. Hyung,” he leans forward, halfway into Chan’s lap, “you always want to see the best in people. That’s one of the best things about you. You’re always looking for people’s greatest virtues, but, when it comes to  _ you _ ,” he jabs a finger at Chan’s chest, “you’re so quick to pick out all of your flaws. Hyung, you’re  _ human _ . Of  _ course, _ you’re flawed, but who isn’t? We all have issues and we’re struggling, but what really matters is how we choose to deal with it all. And Chris,” he takes Chan’s hands into his own, lifting them up to kiss his knuckles, “you put up with  _ so much _ . You work so hard and you fight so much just to make sure everyone else is okay, and it’s so admirable and inspiring.” Felix looks up at Chan, his eyes sad but still very fond. It makes Chan’s heart melt into a puddle of goo in his chest. “But you need to take care of yourself sometimes too, don’t you?”

Chan bites his lip, looking away from Felix. 

“I know,” he says, his voice hoarse as he tries to fight his tears. “I just - I don’t - I don’t know, I’m trying - I really want to - I guess it just feels like I can’t rely on - like I’m being a burden if I ask for help? I mean, I know I’m not the oldest at the shelter, but I’ve-”

“-You’ve always been the one taking care of others,” Felix finishes for him. Chan nods. “Well, what if I take care of you?” 

“If - if you what?” Chan chokes out. Felix shrugs. 

“If we were to go down the path of a romantic relationship, though we don’t have to,” he says, “then I would be taking care of you, though I should’ve been doing it beforehand and I still will even if we decide to wait or that it just won’t work out. I mean, Hyung, part of every good relationship is that we take care of  _ each other _ . It’s not just - not just one person. Anyone who thinks that is going to get hurt or hurt someone else.”

“But-”

“Hyung,” Felix says, “I’m not saying we have to date for this to happen. I’m saying that you need to let someone take care of you. You can’t keep going until you burn out, can you? Then you aren’t of any help to anyone.” 

Chan sniffles and wipes his eyes. 

“Since when did you get so mature, sunshine?” he says. Felix laughs. “What? I’m serious! I should be giving  _ you _ advice, not the other way around!” 

Felix kisses his cheek, climbing into his lap and resting his head on the top of Chan’s head. 

“You can still get advice from younger people, Hyung,” he says. “Namjoon-Hyung asks you for help sometimes, doesn’t he? Everyone relies on everyone there, that’s why we all get along with each other so well. We’re all giving and receiving, you know?” 

Chan snorts, holding Felix’s hips and pressing his face into the crook of his neck. 

“Yeah,” he says softly, pressing the word against his skin. “Yeah, I do.” 

Felix hums, laughing softly.

“Good,” he says. Chan hums back, drawing random shapes onto Felix’s skin. 

“Hey, Lixie?” 

“Hm?” 

“I like you too,” Chan whispers. Felix giggles. “No, really. I - I really like you, and I mean in a romantic sort of way.” He inhales sharply. “I really,  _ really _ like you.” 

Felix giggles, kissing his forehead. 

“I know, Hyung,” he says. “And I like you too.” 

“We should go out,” Chan blurts. “Just - just the two of us. We should go out to see a movie or something. Or we could go shopping. I don’t know. I don’t really care, either, I just wanna - I wanna go on a date. With you. Soon. Or, I guess, whenever we’re both free next, but I don’t know when that is. So I don’t know, I guess, but I just wanted to let you know.” 

Felix laughs. 

“Chris Bang, is that your way of asking me out on a date?” he says teasingly. “Because I thought you’d include a lot more flowers.” 

Chan laughs nervously, hiding his face in the crook of Felix’s neck. 

“It’s sudden, I know,” he says. “I just wanted to ask you before we had to go out to the car.” 

“Shit, the car,” Felix says. He gets off of Chan, hissing when he moves his ankle too fast. 

“Come on, sunshine, let me carry you,” Chan says, nudging Felix. The cat hybrid hums and clambers into his arms, sighing happily. Chan presses him close to his chest as Felix’s arms wrap around his neck, and then he walks out. 

Squishing into the car would be harder if not for Felix happily volunteering to sit in Chan’s lap. Hueningkai and Taehyun both scowl at them while Yeonjun and Soobin clap their hands together, cheering happily. Soobin smiles when he sees them and hits both Taehyun and Hueningkai when they groan. 

It’s very chaotic once Chan gets back. Seokjin cooks kimchi and jajangmyeon for him, inviting the entire pack (is it a pack? Or is it a bunch of little packs? Chan doesn’t know), and even Namjoon hobbles out, sitting down at the head of the table. Seokjin sits beside him and Chan doesn’t think he could be happier, at least, not until the meal is over. 

Because then he remembers Wooyoung and San. He doesn’t exactly know why - they just seem to appear in his head as he and Felix lie together in front of the TV, Felix’s ankle wrapped and resting on a cushion. 

“What is it?” he says, probably having noticed Chan’s sudden spaciness. 

“I - I just remembered these two hybrids I met,” Chan says. He frowns and picks at his lip. “They - one of them was really injured and the other was, uh, that black mamba hybrid who killed someone.”

“Shit, really?” Felix says, getting up. “You - we have to tell Yoongi-Hyung so he can find them. You left a tracker, right?” 

Chan nods, remembering how he’d left the little device on San when the snake hybrid had brushed by him. He just hopes he hasn’t pulled it off yet. 

“Do you-”

“No, this is too important. We should go now,” Felix says. He curses when he gets up, and Chan rushes to help him. “No, no, I’m fine, it’s just - you know what, go without me, I’ll see you when you come back. And you’d better come back because I swear, if-” 

“Okay, okay,” Chan says. He kisses him once. “I’ll be back.” 

Felix laughs, waving at him as he walks off. Chan walks through the shelter quickly, happy to be back. It’s much nicer than Wooyoung and San’s apartment or even his own, that’s for sure. 

When he reaches Yoongi’s room, Chan knocks lightly on the door, tilting his head curiously. 

“Hyung?” he says. “Yoongi-Hyung, are you there?” 

There’s a grunt from inside the room, and then the door slides open and Yoongi appears. His hair is slightly disheveled and he’s wearing only an oversized sweater that reaches his upper thigh. 

“Am I . . . interrupting something?” Chan says. Yoongi grunts. 

“Jimin, put your shirt on!” he turns around to yell.

He turns back to Chan, then, and says, very simply, “No. What is it?” 

“There are these hybrids I met while I was gone,” Chan says. “They . . . weren’t in the best situation.”

“Extraction?” Yoongi says as he sits down, grabbing some sort of drink with a straw and taking a sip. It seems to be empty, though, so all he does is make a noise. 

“Yeah. I left a tracker on both of them. Also, one of them may or may not have taken my gun,” Chan says, scratching the back of his neck. Yoongi huffs a laugh as he pulls his legs up to his chest and rests his chin on his knees, typing a few things. 

“So, when do you wanna get this done?” he says. “I mean, we can’t do it this week, since we’re planning on the gala attack, though you  _ should _ be sitting it out-”

“Hyung, I’m fine,” Chan says. He sighs. “We can probably do it soon? Next week would be best. One of them had been seriously injured and you know how it is with medical help.” 

“Can’t get it unless you have an owner or human chaperone,” Yoongi grumbles bitterly. “Fucking dickheads for coming up with that one, aren’t they?” 

Chan and Jimin both hum as the oldest hybrid continues to work, fingers flying over his keyboard. Eventually, he pulls up two separate maps, both with little flashing dots on them. 

“Here we are,” Yoongi says. He yawns. “One of them is moving around a lot, though I’m guessing this one,” he points at the dot that’s sitting in the apartment building, “is the one that got injured. Yeah, probably is. What would you say their condition was like?” 

“Pretty bad,” Chan says. “He hardly spoke at all and it seemed like he was pretty delirious when he did. Most of the time he was unconscious or on the verge of passing out, though.” 

“Mmm. Any injuries?”

“There was blood on the blankets but, other than that, I couldn’t see anything. He’s also a drug addict, so that might’ve had something to do with it. I don’t know,” Chan says. He sighs. “It was just really sad.” 

Yoongi hums, nodding. 

“Well then,” he says, turning around, “You’d better go rest up. We’ll take care of this as soon as we can, though I wouldn’t get your hopes up for the injured hybrid. What did you say he was?” 

Chan laughs. 

“I forgot to mention that he’s a fox, and his partner is a black mamba.” Yoongi and Jimin both stiffen. 

“The one on the news, you mean?” Jimin says. “He killed someone, didn’t he?” 

“Unexplained aggression, yep,” Chan says. He sighs again. “These two are both a piece of work. I’m hoping, though, that we can help them. I don’t know. Maybe, who knows?” 

Yoongi snorts. 

“Well, it’s good that someone’s trying to help them, right?” he says. He smiles at Chan. “Get some rest, yeah, Chan-ah?” 

Chan laughs and nods, waving as heads out. 

“See you in the morning, I guess,” he says. 

With talking to Felix done, Chan begins to plan on confronting Minho. While listening in on his conversation with Yoongi that night certainly did help, it still raised a lot of questions for Chan. Also, he really does think that they should talk in general. 

“Minho?” Chan says, poking his head into the infirmary and knocking on the door. Everyone else, as far as Chan’s concerned, at least, is asleep at the moment, increasing the likelihood of Minho being awake and willing to talk. 

“Hyung?” the snow leopard hybrid says, turning around. His silvery-white fur is now dirty and greasy, just like his hair, and his skin is probably really greasy and gross. 

“Hey,” Chan says, walking in and grabbing a chair. He pulls it up to Minho who sits on Jisung’s bed, tail curled around himself. 

“Is - is everything okay?” Minho says. He’s avoiding Chan’s eyes, staring at his hands. His claws have grown even longer and sharper than usual, probably due to neglect since he’s been spending all of his time worrying about Jisung. 

“Are you okay?” Chan says. “You - you’ve been eating, right?” 

Minho sniffs and nods. 

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “Just a little bit. I’m not that hungry.” 

“You should shower.” 

Minho looks up at him, trying to muster a glare. He’s definitely lost weight, Chan can tell just by looking at him. 

“Rude,” he says. Chan laughs softly. It’s nice to see a little bit of the old Minho peeking through the new one. “I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not,” Chan says. He rests his hand on Minho’s shoulder. “Minho, just - we need to talk. About everything that’s happened between us ever since the accident.” 

Minho looks away, digging his claws into Jisung’s blanket. 

“I know,” he says quietly. “I just - I don’t-”

“Do you want me to start?” Chan says. “I can start if that’s what you want.” 

Minho nods, wiping his eyes and looking away. Chan smiles at him, sitting back. 

“I just - I’m really sorry for what happened,” he says. He gestures at Jisung. “I - I know that you don’t blame me and that what happened isn’t my fault, though, now that I say - that I’ve said it out loud, I think - I really do sound like an asshole, so I guess maybe that’s not the best thing to say. Uh . . .”

“I did blame you for a bit,” Minho whispers. He shifts in place, sighing and putting his head in his hands. “I was - I wanted someone to blame, I guess? And you and Hyunjin were the only ones available, so I kind of . . . I just cut everyone off because I didn’t want you guys to see how weak - how weak I really - really am, and I blamed you and Hyunjin because it’s not like I could go and fuck Woojin up anymore.” He laughs bitterly. “I just - I was angry with myself for not being there but I didn’t want - I didn’t want to admit it, so I - unfairly, really - projected it onto the next two people I could blame.” He sighs yet again and turns to look at Jisung, tears rolling down his cheeks. “And it fucking - I’m so fucking scared that he’s dead and that he isn’t going to wake up because it’s been so long since - his coma has been for so long and I don’t-” Minho chokes on a sob, turning to look at Chan with tear-streaked cheeks “Hyung, what if he dies? What if he’s already dead?” 

Chan stares at him before sniffling and opening his arms. Minho shakes and hugs himself as he cries, trying to ignore it, so Chan pulls him into his arms and hugs him. 

“His heart’s still beating, Min,” he says. “Jisung, as far as we know, is still alive right now. And until that beeping stops,” he pauses for the sound of the heart monitor to fill the silence, “we’re going to keep tending to him.” He pulls away. “But do you really think he’d want you to be like this? Jisung would be torn apart if he knew you were acting like this, don’t you think?” 

“Hyung, he’s  _ dying _ ,” Minho sobs. “I’m torn apart over that. He doesn’t have a say in how I’m acting.” 

Chan laughs. 

“I know he does,” he says quietly. “We all know how much you care about him, and we all know how much this is hurting you. But don’t you want to at least smell and look nice for when he wakes up?” 

Minho scowls at him, climbing out of the hug and curling up on top of Jisung. 

“Yes, but-”

“Go take a shower, Minho,” a new voice says. Both hybrids turn to look at Yoongi, finding the cat hybrid to be standing in the doorway of the infirmary. He blinks sleepily and rubs his eyes. “Come on, you smell awful. I’d be surprised if Jisung could even  _ recognize _ you when he wakes up. Get up, let’s go.” 

Minho snorts but he obliges, climbing off of Jisung’s bed and padding out in front of Yoongi. While he’s walking away to the showers, Yoongi turns around and mouths, ‘thank you’ at Chan before he follows the other feline. Chan smiles, and then he turns to Jisung. 

“Hey,” he whispers. “Jisung-ah, you need to wake up soon, okay? We’re all really worried about you, especially Minho. So you’ve gotta get up, okay?” He pats him on the head. “There are a lot of new people here, and they’re all aching to meet you, okay? We love you, and we hope you’ll wake up soon.” He waves, and then Chan quietly heads back to his room. 

Despite the protests of several of his friends, Chan decides to go on the mission at the gala. Namjoon had sighed when he’d seen him, shaking his head as he’d carefully lowered himself into his seat. But, nonetheless, Chan had been included during the meeting, listening to their guests as well as adding in his own input. He isn’t quite sure how long they met for, but he does know that lunch afterward was really good, kudos to Seokjin. 

He also knows that Minho came out of the infirmary during the day for the first time in who knows how long. The snow leopard hybrid had quietly padded into the mess hall, looking around with wide eyes. 

“Minho-Hyung?” Hyunjin says, the first to notice. He gets out of his seat as everyone turns to look at the feline, their eyes wide when they see him. Minho waves shyly. 

“Hey guys,” he says, his voice soft. “Uh, got room for one more?” 

“Of course,” Seokjin says. He gestures to one of the empty seats before getting up and putting some rice into a bowl. Minho sits down and everyone looks nervously at him, especially Hyunjin. And then Minho turns to him and takes his hand, squeezing it gently. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’m really sorry.” 

Hyunjin sniffles, looking away. 

“It - it’s okay,” he chokes out. 

“It’s not.” 

“Hyung-” 

Minho pulls Hyunjin into his arms and begins purring softly, and then Hyunjin shakes once before breaking down. Minho hushes him, hugging him tightly and rocking back and forth. But, despite it all, Chan can’t help feeling relieved. Now, all they need is for Jisung to wake up. 

They continue planning for the mission, and the gala crawls closer. Chan can sense the sort of stillness that begins to fill the shelter as they all prepare, all of them working things out before the day of the gala. Chan is the one who’s going to plant the bomb since he’s supposed to go. Jeongguk, Taehyun, Yeonjun, and Jongho are going to pretend to be guards outside while Hyunjin, Jeongin, Seungmin, and Soobin are all going to work as waiters. Yoongi is going to stay in the van with Felix since his ankle is a bit too sprained for him to go on a mission. Jimin is also staying in the van with Taehyung who’s their medic. Hoseok and Hueningkai are staying home to ferry messages and information around, and to update Namjoon and Seokjin. All they need now is to wait. 

“Chan-ah,” Seokjin says, putting a hand on his shoulder as Chan adjusts his tie, “Namjoon wants to see you.”

“Okay,” Chan says. He follows Seokjin through the many halls of the shelter until they reach his and Namjoon’s room. 

“Chan,” Namjoon says, slowly getting to his feet when he sees the wolf hybrid. “There you are. It’s good to be back, yes?” 

Chan laughs. 

“I couldn’t be happier,” he says. Namjoon snorts as he sits down, shaking his head. 

“Mm. Anyway, I was wondering if you remembered who helped you with your situation.” He looks excited like a little kid telling their parents a riddle. “Have you figured it out yet?” 

Chan laughs. 

“Yeah,” he says. “It was our sponsor. He came and picked me up.” 

Namjoon laughs, nodding happily. 

“Good, good,” he says. “I’m sure you’ll see everything fall into place soon enough. It’s quite a lovely puzzle.” Chan laughs and walks over, bending down to hug him. 

“Love you, Hyung,” he says. Namjoon smiles softly, and Chan can feel it against his skin. 

“I love you too, Channie,” he rumbles. “I’m so proud of you, okay?”

Chan grins when he pulls away, then he hugs Seokjin. 

“I love you, Hyungie,” he says and Seokjin laughs softly, kissing him on the head. 

“I love you too,” he says. “Good luck and don’t get hurt, okay?”

They drive to the gala in their own separate cars. Chan is one of the first people to arrive and he waves as he walks into the hotel. He looks around, greeting his superiors and the people who come up to him. He sees Hyunjin come out with a tray of champagne flutes, meaning he should start putting the smaller bombs out. He adjusts his gloves, walking slowly. Hyunjin nods ever-so-slightly at him when he passes by him, offering him one of the flutes. Chan shakes his head but thanks him, then he continues walking. 

Around the time that Seungmin comes out, there’s a sort of murmuring going through the crowd. It’s already pretty crowded, so Chan has to push his way through the crowd until he finds the two people who’ve just arrived. 

Standing there, Hongjoong is holding Seonghwa’s arm as they walk into the gala. Hongjoong is wearing a sort of hanbok-inspired dress with large heels and pretty sapphire jewelry. Seonghwa, on the other hand, is wearing a fairly simple black suit. However, with all of the gold jewelry he’s embellished himself with, it’s impossible to call his outfit that. His shirt is white while his vest is black with thin, gold stripes going vertically. His belt is black with a golden  _ VIPER _ buckle, and his heels are large, black velvet platform stilettos with gold accents. His fingers are covered in countless gold rings and he’s wearing contacts to make his eyes seem like those of an actual viper’s. He looks around the room curiously, locking eyes with Chan. A small smile makes its way across his face and then he turns to proudly show Hongjoong off. The cat hybrid’s ears twitch as he looks around, wide-eyed as he takes in the gala. 

_ Shit, _ Chan thinks as he looks around.  _ I didn’t know they’d be here. They don’t know about it.  _ He tries to find Hyunjin or Seungmin or someone, though none of them are nearby. Chan shifts and begins moving through the crowd, grumbling under his breath. The bombs are due to go off at midnight, so he still has time, but Seonghwa is also known to hang around these events for  _ hours _ , and he always leaves at twelve-thirty, not a second before or after. 

_ I really hope they’re not near the bombs when they go off,  _ he thinks as he walks around. His suit suddenly feels far too constricting and Chan wishes he could rip it off. He curses and weaves his way through the crowd until he finds one of the bathrooms, locking the door behind him. 

“Felix?” he says, opening his little untraceable flip phone. “Felix, can you hear me?” 

_ “Yeah, Hyung, I’m here. What is it?” _

“Can you put Namjoon-Hyung on the line? I need to ask him something.” 

Felix hums and Chan can hear things being moved around.  _ “All right, yup. Is something wrong?”  _

“No, no, no - everything’s fine, just a question about one of the guests.” 

He hears Felix hum again, and then Namjoon’s voice comes through. 

_ “Chan? What’s up? Everything-” _

“Hyung, Seonghwa is here,” Chan blurts. “He and his assistant, Hongjoong Kim - they just arrived. What should we do?” 

Namjoon is silent for a few moments, and then he says something inaudible to Seokjin. 

_ “Okay,” _ he says,  _ “okay, just keep going. We’ll try and get everything under control. Jin-Hyung is telling Jeongguk right now, and I’ll have Hoseok-Hyung tell Changbin about it.” _

“Okay,” Chan says. “So I just go through with it and hope for the best?” 

_ “Yeah. Fuck, I should’ve contacted our source,” _ Namjoon murmurs, mostly to himself.  _ “Don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of it.” _

“Yeah, okay,” Chan says. He hangs up the phone and then sighs, checking the time. He still has a few more hours left until he can leave, and he just hopes they can do something about Seonghwa and Hongjoong by then. 

Unfortunately, as the clock continues to tick and Chan continues to go through with the mission, Seonghwa and Hongjoong refuse to leave. It gets bad enough that Chan goes up to them himself, walking over to the two males. 

“Ah, Chief Bang,” Seonghwa says when he sees him. Hongjoong’s eyes flash with recognition. “How wonderful to see you.” 

“Good evening, Mr. Park,” Chan says. He holds his hand out and Seonghwa takes it, his nails digging into his skin. “You look wonderful as always.” 

Seonghwa laughs. 

“Oh, you flatter me, but really, it’s my dear Hongjoong who’s taken the spotlight,” he says, gesturing to the cat hybrid beside him. “Isn’t his dress lovely? He designed it all on his own.”

Chan nods, looking Hongjoong up and down. 

“Very impressive,” he says. “It looks great.” 

Hongjoong curtsies, nodding. 

“Thank you,” he says softly. 

Chan nods at them both. “Uh, yes. Anyway, how long are you two planning on staying here?” 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“You’ve been to these parties before, haven’t you? You know when I leave,” Seonghwa says. He shrugs, taking two glasses of champagne from Seungmin as he walks by. He offers one to Hongjoong, taking a sip of his own. “I’m a creature of few habits, but when it comes to this, I always leave at the same time.” He checks his pocket watch. “Only two more hours left. Huh. I never noticed how much time has passed since we arrived.” He smiles at Hongjoong. “You’re simply too entertaining.” 

Hongjoong blushes, staring down at his feet. Chan doubts he’ll be able to get any further than he already has with this, so he simply walks away. He’ll just have to pray that everything works out in the end. 

The clock continues to tick, and Chan soon finds himself heading out of the gala, saying goodbye to the people he sees on his way out. He drives around and then parks, pulling a mask over his face and removing the netting after changing out of his suit. 

“All right,” he says. He checks his watch, turning to Hyunjin. The cat hybrid’s newly-dyed black hair is tied back in a ponytail, and his nose is red from the cold. 

“You ready?” he says. Chan shrugs. 

“Is everyone out now?” he asks. Hyunjin hums, nodding as he pulls out his laptop and opens it, typing quickly. 

“Yup,” he says, popping the ‘p’. “Huening sent out a message, though, and it said that we have to get Mr. Park and his assistant out. Why?” 

Chan shakes his head. 

“I’ll tell you later,” he murmurs. “Let’s just hope he knows now. All right, let’s go.” 

_ “You guys ready?”  _ Yoongi says. Chan presses his fingers to his earpiece, pulling his goggles down and his mask up. Hyunjin does the same. 

“Yep,” Hyunjin says. “I’m going to start the countdown.” 

_ “It is 12:59:40, we are beginning the countdown now. Hoseok, do you copy?”  _ Yoongi says. 

_ “Got it,” _ Hoseok murmurs.  _ “Cameras are ready, message prepared. Is group SKZ in place?” _

“We’re here,” Chan says. 

_ “Okay. All clear.” _

“Three,” Hyunjin says, “two, one.”

And then, the bombs explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos much appreciated!! luv u, stay safe!


	8. Boom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong gets closer with Seonghwa, Chan's life is a mess but at least he has Felix, and Soobin is just trying to do his job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmmmmm  
> okay  
> blood t/w and yes i did change the rating bc this isn't exactly pg or teen for that matter and I don't wanna stretch it, so just skip to the part 'Seonghwa hums, climbing into bed' and uhhhhh that's about it ig

Hongjoong doesn’t know what to say or how to react when he first sets foot in the hotel lobby. Huge, glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling and there are several beautifully carved ice statues. There’s also an orchestra but only the piano is playing, though Hongjoong doesn’t have it in himself to complain as he clings to Seonghwa and tries not to pass out. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Seonghwa leans down to whisper. Hongjoong nods. 

“Thank you,” he whispers. “It - I’ve always-”

“Seonghwa!” someone cries. The designer tenses. “Finally brought a date, did you?” 

Seonghwa turns and smiles coldly at the woman. She’s definitely older, what with her bleached-blonde hair and fake tan. Her blue eyes are bright with what Hongjoong is assuming are contacts, her dress a bright and (at least in his opinion) unflattering pink that makes him want to vomit. 

“I did,” Seonghwa says. “Mrs. Smith, you look absolutely  _ lovely _ today.” 

“Why, thank you,” the woman says. She twirls and Hongjoong steps back a bit. “Say, did you design your pet’s clothes on your own? I’ve never seen-”

“Actually, Hongjoong designed this lovely outfit himself without any help or guidance from me,” Seonghwa says. “He was top of his class in school and now he’s the best assistant I’ve ever had.” 

“For a hybrid,” Mrs. Smith says. Seonghwa arches an eyebrow and scowls. 

“No. Out of every assistant I’ve had, Hongjoong is my favorite.” He grins dangerously. “But, today, he is my date, and we have to skedaddle along now, ta-ta!” 

“Who was that?” Hongjoong says as they walk. 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“Hell if I know,” he says. “I just heard someone call her that. They’re all one and the same to me, more or less. Anyway, let’s go get something to eat.”

The party continues like that, and Hongjoong finds Seonghwa to be an absolute gentleman, though only to him and a few choice officials. He praises Hongjoong’s work until the cat hybrid’s head is spinning. The entire time, a steady hand is kept on Hongjoong’s hip, his other hand either free or holding one of the hors d’oeuvres or a champagne flute. He makes sure to get things for Hongjoong as well, and Hongjoong can’t help swooning internally. 

“Ah, Chief Bang,” Seonghwa suddenly says, startling the cat hybrid beside him. Hongjoong looks up and locks eyes with the other hybrid, fear and surprise filling him. He would’ve thought it too dangerous to be here, but, then again, he’s been doing it for years, so Hongjoong doubts he worries too much anymore.

“-Evening, Mr. Park,” Chief Bang is saying. Seonghwa is still smiling. “You look wonderful as always.” 

Seonghwa laughs, turning proudly to gesture at Hongjoong. 

“Oh, you flatter me, but really, it’s my dear Hongjoong who’s taken the spotlight. Isn’t his dress lovely? He designed it all on his own,” he says. Chief Bang nods, looking at Hongjoong. 

“Very impressive,” he says kindly. “It looks great.” 

Hongjoong curtsies nervously and nods. 

“Thank you,” he whispers. Chief Bang nods at both of them as a waiter comes their way. 

“Uh, yes. Anyway, how long are you two planning on staying here?” he asks, looking around nervously. His behavior makes Hongjoong antsy himself, and he takes to holding onto Seonghwa’s arm as the designer shrugs.

“You’ve been to these parties before, haven’t you? You know when I leave,” Seonghwa says, shrugging as he takes two glasses of champagne from the waiter walking toward them. One of them is given to Hongjoong while Seonghwa brings his own glass to his lips. “I’m a creature of few habits, but when it comes to this, I always leave at the same time.” He checks his pocket watch which, like many other things he owns, is snake-themed. A golden serpent with shining diamond eyes is curled over the top. “Only two more hours left. Huh. I never noticed how much time has passed since we arrived.” He turns to smile at Hongjoong, and the cat hybrid still feels the butterflies in his stomach despite how nervous he is. “You’re simply too entertaining.”

Chief Bang, however, is unamused, and he soon walks away. Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head as he watches him walk away. 

“He hates these events,” he says. Shrugging, he says, “Then again, so did I, at least until I brought you along.” He grins at Hongjoong again. “Shall we?” 

Hongjoong grins, squeezing his arm. 

“We shall,” he says. 

The night continues, and it still feels like a dream. However, the part that Hongjoong thinks he’ll remember most clearly is the dancing. 

[ _ Star 1117 - Piano Cover _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypW2Ikpgd3E)

The piano starts up, and people begin getting up, heading toward the center of the room and beginning to dance. Hongjoong looks around curiously, watching the couples around him. He holds his tail and plays with the fur, doubtful that he’ll be lucky enough to-

“May I have this dance?” Seonghwa says, having gotten up to bow and hold his hand out to Hongjoong. The cat hybrid’s eyes grow wide with surprise as he stares at Seonghwa’s ring-bedazzled hand with its long, black nails. He looks back up and locks eyes with the man before he nods and gently places his hand on Seonghwa’s palm. 

“Yes, thank you,” he says. Gosh, he’s definitely a bit tipsy from the champagne. He stands slowly, a bit wobbly on his heels but not enough that Seonghwa needs to be as careful with him as he is. But the two of them make it to the sort of dance floor without any casualties, so Hongjoong supposes that’s a win as he takes Seonghwa’s hand and begins to waltz with him. 

“You’re a good dancer,” the man says as they glide around. Hongjoong hums, shrugging. 

“I took classes when I was little,” he says. “You’re not too bad yourself.” 

Seonghwa laughs, smiling warmly. 

“I haven’t danced with anyone in ages,” he says. “I’d forgotten how fun it can be.” 

“Why haven’t you?” Hongjoong says, tilting his head curiously. Seonghwa shrugs. 

“Never had anyone to do it with,” he says. He smiles at Hongjoong, winking. “It’s nice to have you here with me.” 

Hongjoong smiles, shrugging and feeling a bit goofy. 

“Well,” he says, “it’s really, really nice to be here with you.” 

“Is it? I would’ve thought it a nightmare,” Seonghwa says. There are people staring at them. Hongjoong and Seonghwa both ignore it. 

“No,” Hongjoong says. He squeezes Seonghwa’s hand. “It’s quite the opposite, actually.” 

“Oh really?” the designer says, his eyebrows going up in surprise. Hongjoong hums nods, twirling around. His skirt feels nice as it spins with him, and he’s quite sure that it looks rather nice as well. 

“Yes,” Hongjoong says. He smiles. “You’re - you’re actually much nicer than you might think, Seonghwa.” Hongjoong stumbles a bit, though Seonghwa catches him, a worried look on his face. “See? You didn’t even think before you caught me. And you paid me early when I was going to get evicted, you paid for Mingi’s surgeries and claimed him so he could get them, you paid Yeosang early when he needed the money - hell, you stopped smoking and installed ventilators on your office floor because of my asthma, something that isn’t that bad. And-”

“That’s not nice,” Seonghwa argues. “That’s just - that’s just me trying to - oh. Well, I  _ suppose _ that’s nice.”

Hongjoong giggles, shaking his head fondly. 

“You gave me a job,” he whispers. “You’ve never looked down at me because I was a hybrid. You’ve never tried to take advantage of me for anything - my financial status, my species, or even my naïvete - are you not a nice person?” 

“Why would I do such things when I have suffered through them on my own?” Seonghwa murmurs, placing his lips next to Hongjoong’s ear. “My dear, you have much to learn about me. I do many things for I wish that others will not have to suffer.” 

“Well, that’s nice,” Hongjoong says, a little breathless. Seonghwa hums, pulling away to smile at him. 

“I’m glad you think that,” he says. Hongjoong laughs. 

“I don’t know what else I’d think,” he says, shrugging. Seonghwa snorts and shakes his head, running his nails over Hongjoong’s spine. Hongjoong melts into his touch, ears twitching happily as he tries to fight his purr. It’s of no use, though, because he can soon hear and feel it as the purr thrums through his entire body, making him vibrate in Seonghwa’s arms. The designer looks surprised for a moment before he laughs and presses Hongjoong against him, humming along with the song as it plays. 

However, it soon becomes rather obvious that Seonghwa is trying to move them away from a few certain areas. Hongjoong doesn’t really find a problem with it, nor does he understand why Seonghwa’s so picky about those specific spots, but, either way, he doesn’t care. At least, not until the floor explodes beneath their feet. 

It has to be sometime around midnight when it happens. Seonghwa throws himself over Hongjoong just as a loud boom breaks through the peaceful music of the gala, but, before he can even try to figure out what’s happening, Seonghwa has grabbed his hand and is already leading him outside. Their car is by the door and Seonghwa ushers Hongjoong inside, the door slamming shut behind them. 

“My apartment,  _ now _ ,” Seonghwa says to the chauffeur. Only once the car starts moving does he sit back, sighing as he pulls out a nail clipper and snips off the pointed ends of his nails. 

And Hongjoong, to be completely honest here, hasn’t a single clue what comes over him. Maybe it’s the adrenaline from the fact that the gala was just attacked and Seonghwa may or may not have saved his life or maybe it’s because they’ve been flirting all night. He doesn’t know and, at the moment, he doesn’t really care because he’s suddenly throwing himself at Seonghwa and smashing their lips together. The older man’s lips are warm against his own, tasting of champagne and whatever hors d’oeuvres he might’ve had. He holds Hongjoong by the hips and kisses him back just as eagerly, licking hungrily into the cat hybrid’s mouth. 

“Fuck, Hongjoong,” he breathes. Hongjoong giggles breathlessly as lips press against his neck, teeth scraping against skin. He runs his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair, releasing a shuddering breath as he rolls his hips down, whimpering softly when he feels Seonghwa bite him. 

“Hold on, baby, almost there,” Seonghwa murmurs against his skin, laving his tongue over the hickey. Hongjoong covers his mouth with his hand, well-aware of the chauffeur watching them through the rearview mirror. Embarrassingly enough, the knowledge only makes Hongjoong grind his hips down on Seonghwa’s, mewling softly. 

They get out of the car and stumble into the apartment building, racing to the elevator. Seonghwa, much to Hongjoong’s dismay, doesn’t immediately press the cat hybrid up against the wall and make out with him, instead standing near and trying to fix his hair. 

[ _ Shameless _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAw3MLNU56s) _ and  _ [ _ Heaven _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIpT5vP5hy4)

However, it’s the total opposite of how he acts when he finally opens the door to his apartment. Hongjoong hasn’t any time to admire the place before he’s slammed into the wall, Seonghwa’s lips mashing against his own. Before he can stop himself, Hongjoong moans rather loudly into the apartment, shivering as Seonghwa’s hands run over his body. 

“Hold on,” the designer murmurs, “no shoes.” 

Hongjoong would laugh, though Seonghwa somehow makes it look sexy as he kicks his heels off and pulls them from Hongjoong’s feet. He leaves them by the door and then lifts Hongjoong up, and the display of strength affects Hongjoong more than he’d like to admit. He doesn’t get to see much of the apartment as Seonghwa takes him to his bedroom, unfortunately, because his lips are practically sewn to his boss’ neck the entire time. 

When they reach the bedroom, Seonghwa throws him onto the bed and tosses his jacket to the side, then he crawls in between Hongjoong’s legs and kisses him. While licking into Hongjoong’s mouth, he begins carefully removing the dress, and, if Hongjoong saw his messages, he’d find that Yeosang (slightly tipsy but sober enough to have known what he was doing) had sent Seonghwa directions on how to remove Hongjoong’s clothes. 

“Fuck, you’re so hot,” Hongjoong pants, threading his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair. The man grins at him, and Hongjoong notices how he still has his contacts in. 

“I could say the same for you,” Seonghwa murmurs, his breath tickling Hongjoong’s ear as he grips his thighs and moves his hands over his legs. Hongjoong shivers in his arms and whines softly in the back of his throat, baring his neck. Seonghwa chuckles as he begins to kiss over the skin, sucking marks onto Hongjoong’s neck and paying special attention to the little spots that make him squeal.

“Pretty kitty, aren’t you?” Seonghwa says when he pulls away sitting back as Hongjoong pants and flushes beneath him. When Hongjoong tries to cover himself, he lunges quite quickly - it reminds Hongjoong of a striking snake - and grabs his wrists, pinning them above his head. 

“Now, darling,” he says sweetly and a bit condescendingly, “don’t do that. Let me look at you, hm?” 

Hongjoong whimpers softly and Seonghwa laughs, leaning down to kiss his cheek. He lets go of Hongjoong’s wrists, but there’s a silent command, one that’s telling Hongjoong to keep his hands up there. He sighs shakily as Seonghwa begins to map out his body with kisses, licking over his skin and making Hongjoong whimper and moan. 

Seonghwa moans for the first time (and holy shit, does Hongjoong wish he’d recorded the sound) when he comes to Hongjoong’s hips. 

“Lace?” he says, dragging his nails over Hongjoong’s stomach and giggling at how he can feel his tummy tighten in response to the action. “Pretty lace panties? Darling, were you thinking of seducing me tonight?” 

Hongjoong shudders as Seonghwa places a kiss beneath his belly button. 

“M-Maybe,” he stammers. “Do - do you like them?” 

Seonghwa growls, digging his nails into his hips. 

“Like them?” he says. “Pretty kitty, I  _ love _ them. Fuck, you little minx.” 

“Good - good to know that you like them,” Hongjoong breathes. Seonghwa snorts, shaking his head. He turns and bites a hickey into Hongjoong’s thigh, then he turns his attention to the black lace that keeps Hongjoong from being totally naked. 

“May I?” Seonghwa says, playing with the hem. Hongjoong shivers and nods, then Seonghwa takes the underwear between his teeth and pulls them down his legs. 

Though it pains him to admit it, Hongjoong isn’t as embarrassed as he should be as he lies naked in front of Seonghwa who is still fully clothed. However, it’s not like he has much time to feel that way because Seonghwa takes off his vest and, in one easy movement, he loosens his tie and pulls it off. Hongjoong lies and waits, watching with pleading eyes, and when he notices, Seonghwa laughs.

“Come here, pretty kitty,” he says. “Help me, will you?” 

Eagerly, Hongjoong scrambles over and begins fumbling with the buttons of Seonghwa’s shirt. He purrs happily when it comes off, running his hands over washboard-abs with a delighted little mewl. Seonghwa chuckles as he leans down to kiss at Hongjoong’s neck while the cat hybrid removes his belt and undoes his fly, fingers stumbling over each other in their haste. 

“I’ve thought about you,” Hongjoong whispers, flushed red with embarrassment. Seonghwa hums, arching an eyebrow as Hongjoong runs his hands over his chest. 

“Oh?” he says. “Well then, Joong, what have you thought of?” 

Hongjoong looks down, then he gently takes Seonghwa’s hand and presses it against his stomach. 

“You - you’re touching me,” he says, his voice hoarse. “You touch me and - and you call me pretty.” Seonghwa hums, quietly telling him to go on as he drags his hand over his tummy. “And - and you make me - make me feel really - really good.” 

“Anything else? Or is that it?” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong whimpers, pressing his face into the crook of Seonghwa’s neck. 

“That - that’s it,” he whispers. Seonghwa chuckles, kissing him softly. 

“Well then, darling,” he says, “would you like to hear how I think of you? Or would you rather I show you?” 

Through the haze in his mind, Hongjoong tries his hardest to weigh his options. He whimpers as Seonghwa presses against him, his tail twirling around his fingers. 

“Will - will you show - show me?” he says. Seonghwa smirks. 

“Of course.” 

“Such a good kitten,” Seonghwa murmurs against his now-sweat-soaked skin. Hongjoong whimpers, his legs shaking as he uses his thighs to lift himself up, his hands resting on Seonghwa’s shoulders. He can see the tattoo of the quote he saw as well as a snake on his hip. There’s another quote there, saying, “The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes.” On his left hip, the one unmarked, a small burst of peonies bloom, though Hongjoong’s legs soon cover both markings. 

“Seong-Seonghwa,” Hongjoong pants. Seonghwa hums, and then, without any warning, his teeth sink into Hongjoong’s shoulder. Something warm and wet spills over his skin, though Hongjoong can’t tell if it’s blood or drool or even sweat. He moans loudly in response and Seonghwa licks over the wound, his tongue soothing the injury. 

“So pretty, aren’t you, Hongjoongie? The prettiest kitty, yes, you really are,” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong whimpers again, leaning into his hand when he brushes his knuckles over the side of his face. His eyes are still golden with slit pupils, though he’s kind of high off of . . . well, he supposes it doesn’t need to be said. He’s floating on cloud nine even though his thighs ache and he’s going to be sore tomorrow morning, but he can’t make himself care. 

When Hongjoong’s legs finally do give out, though, Seonghwa flips them around so Hongjoong’s lying down and takes over. Hongjoong has to make a conscious effort to keep his claws sheathed, though, as the pleasure takes over his mind, it becomes harder and harder. Seonghwa doesn’t even seem to notice, though, if they do come out. Hongjoong wonders if he should be proud of that. 

“Hw-Hwa,” Hongjoong stutters. Seonghwa coos and sinks his teeth into the cat hybrid’s shoulder again, the same one, and Hongjoong can smell the blood this time. He shudders in Seonghwa’s arms as sanguine pours onto the sheets, spilling wine over the gray. Seonghwa once again uses his tongue to soothe the pain, wrapping his lips around the wound and sucking harshly. 

“Seonghwa, kiss me, kiss me, please, kiss Hongjoongie,” Hongjoong mewls. Seonghwa pulls away, smiling to show his bloodstained lips and teeth, and then he kisses Hongjoong harshly, drool and blood spilling out from their mouths. Hongjoong isn’t even the slightest bit scared of the fact that he can taste his own  _ blood _ in Seonghwa’s mouth and, somehow, it makes him cry even more. He’s sure that his makeup that Yeosang worked so hard on is a mess by now, streaking his cheeks with his tears as his gloss is smudged by Seonghwa’s lips. 

“Gorgeous,” Seonghwa whispers when he pulls away. “Pretty, pretty Hongjoong and your pretty, pretty tears. They look like diamonds, did you know that, darling? Your eyes are full of diamonds and your blood is liquid rubies.” He shudders, pressing his hips forward and sucking a mark onto the pulse point of Hongjoong’s neck. “You look so pretty in red, Hongjoongie.”

Hongjoong sobs, shaking in Seonghwa’s arms like a leaf in fall. He whines when the designer picks him up and carries him to the bathroom, helping him stand in the shower. He presses Hongjoong up against the stone wall and kisses him breathless, taking him again and making sure Hongjoong’s cries reverberate around the room before they finally come back out. 

“Cuddle me,” Hongjoong mumbles as Seonghwa tucks him into the somehow clean sheets. “Hyungie~”

[ _ Euphoria - Orchestral Cover (Leeplay) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OQ4tk7e80)

Seonghwa hums, climbing into bed and wrapping his arms around Hongjoong’s body. He pulls him close until there isn’t any space between them except for a few stray droplets of water that Seonghwa might’ve missed while he was drying him off. And then, finally, Hongjoong falls asleep in Seonghwa’s arms. 

He wakes up alone. Hongjoong sits up, yawning and stretching, wincing at his sore muscles and shoulder. He looks around the bedroom, blinking sleepily at the sunlight that streams in through the windows. He rubs his eyes before slowly getting up, limping as he walks toward the pile of clothes. 

_ I’m making breakfast, _ the little note says.  _ You can borrow these. Your dress is hanging up, and your jacket’s in the coat closet. You can borrow some of my shoes or I’ll drive you. _ _   
_ _ (I hope you find my cooking as delicious as I did you) _ _   
_ __ -Seonghwa

Hongjoong blushes as he reads the note, picking it up and shaking his head. He grabs the clothes and limps to the bathroom, looking around and finding that his shoulder has been bandaged. There’s a toothbrush with his name on it sitting by the sink with an extra towel and first aid kit too. Hongjoong finds his earrings and other jewelry in a small box, once again labeled with his name. He decides to shower again and comes out smelling like roses and oranges. 

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong says as he hobbles out of the bathroom. He can smell pancakes and bacon. 

“Yes?” the man says. He’s wearing a pair of pajama pants and a loose white t-shirt, and his eyes are brown now. “How did you sleep, Hongjoong?” 

“Really well,” Hongjoong says. He stretches his arms over his head, his tail straightening as he balances on the balls of his feet. “Thank you for . . . last night.” 

Seonghwa laughs, shrugging as he grabs two plates full of food and places them on the table.

“Well,” he says, “it’s the best I could do. I did, after all, take you to a gala that ended with a bombing.” He frowns, sighing and shaking his head. “They’ve closed everything down for once because they want to check as many hybrids at once. It’s a lot easier for them to contact employers if they’re not working.” 

“What - what’s going-”

“ _ You _ will be fine,” Seonghwa says. “All of my employees are kept exempt from this.” He looks up from his food. “They like doing this. It’s really just to make you all scared and to keep you in check.” He sighs and shakes his head in disapproval. “For now, they’re going to have us wait. They want to collect some ‘evidence’, I guess, to make sure they can make it seem like they know what’s happening.” 

“Who are ‘they’?” Hongjoong says, using his fingers to make quotation marks. 

“The government,” Seonghwa says as he eats. He shrugs. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this entire bombing was faked. I suppose I’ve been a bit annoying to them.” He shrugs again, turning back to his food. 

Hongjoong stares at his boss, watching as he eats. Seonghwa, at first, doesn’t seem to notice, but, when he does, he arches an eyebrow and tilts his head. 

“What?” 

“I just - you - you think the government is - you think it made that up?” he says. 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“Well, not necessarily, no,” he says, putting his utensils down and pushing his plate away from him. “I’m just saying that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. Anyway, what would you like to do? Should I drive you back? Your phone is here, don’t worry, but you have the day off.” He winces. “I just wouldn’t recommend-”

“Can I stay with you?” Hongjoong blurts. Seonghwa looks at him, surprised. 

“You - you want to stay with - with  _ me _ ?” he says. He looks around, seemingly searching for any other people Hongjoong might be talking to. “Are you-”

“Yes,” Hongjoong says, surprising himself with his adamancy. He blushes and looks down at his food which is actually really good. “I - yeah. Yes, please, but only if you - only if you’re okay with it.” 

“Okay with it?” Seonghwa says. “Okay with it?! I’d-” he clears his throat, turning red as he looks away. “I mean - I mean, yes, of course, it’d be lovely if you were to stay with me today.” 

Hongjoong nods, shifting nervously in his seat as he smiles shyly at Seonghwa. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

Hongjoong finds that Seonghwa is a very avid reader. He reveals a small, hidden library in his apartment after showing Hongjoong around. It’s not even an apartment, though, and much more of a penthouse - apparently, the room they slept in wasn’t even the actual master bedroom. There’s a second floor that Seonghwa shows him and then he fucks him in his actual bed, making Hongjoong cry and scream until his voice goes hoarse. And then they take a nap together, Hongjoong’s tail curled around Seonghwa’s waist as he snoozes away. 

“Come here,” Seonghwa says after having his own second lunch. “I want to show you something.” 

Hongjoong follows slowly, shuffling over to drape himself over Seonghwa as they continue walking around the second floor. They stop at a bathroom and Seonghwa opens the door, stopping to kick something under a piece of furniture as he goes in. 

“Here. Stand here,” Seonghwa says after moving around the many fabrics littering the floor. Hongjoong looks around Seonghwa’s sewing room with wide eyes, staring at the countless pictures that line the walls and the mannequins with his most famous designs on. Pictures of Seonghwa modeling his own clothes and other products are there, from his-

“That’s from your first show,” Hongjoong says, rushing toward the oldest poster. It’s Seonghwa, a few years younger with his hair swept back. He’s wearing the iconic dark gold silk snake-patterned blouse with its buttons made of rhinestones since he couldn’t have afforded diamonds then. His pants are black skinny jeans and he’s wearing a pair of heels much smaller than what he normally has on, though he’s still absolutely stunning. 

Seonghwa chuckles, coming to stand behind him. 

“It is,” he murmurs. He gestures to the mannequin in front of it. “And there’s the shirt.”

“This is amazing,” Hongjoong breathes. He continues looking around and Seonghwa, seemingly having forgotten his previous request, follows him, offering tidbits of information when he can. 

“You might know my career better than I do,” Seonghwa says, chuckling. Hongjoong blushes and shrugs. 

“I - I studied a lot of your designs when I was in school,” he says. He looks around again. “It - you’re just - you came from Korea with  _ nothing _ . You didn’t have anything, and now you’re only twenty-one but you’re one of the most well-known designers in the entire  _ world. _ You’ve built a fashion  _ empire _ , Seonghwa. How could I not be absolutely starstruck?” 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“I mean, to me, it still doesn’t . . . it doesn’t really feel like a lot to me,” he murmurs. He smiles gently at Hongjoong. “But seeing someone like you become so - just seeing you so amazed by it all makes it feel a lot more like I’ve accomplished something.” 

“Well, of course, you have!” Hongjoong cries, waving his arms in the air. “Seonghwa, this is something people only  _ dream _ of. How is it nothing?” 

“It’s not nothing,” Seonghwa says. He shrugs again. “It’s just - it’s not like I’m out there doing anything that actually benefits the world. Sure, I’ve been great with bending gender rules and being gay and an immigrant and all that, but it’s not like I’m saving lives or feeding those in need.” He frowns, chewing on his lower lip. “Nah, I’m just a figurehead. I’m just the government’s ‘gay friend’. I’m the Asian friend, the proof of diversity for them. Sooner or later, though, I’ll be forgotten.”

Hongjoong stares at him, blinking slowly. 

“Is - but you’ve helped  _ me _ ,” he says. “You inspired me and probably so many other people to chase their dreams and you’re - you’ve paved the way for a bunch of other people to follow you. That’s no small feat, Seonghwa.” 

The man laughs, shaking his head as he hugs Hongjoong. 

“Well, if you say so,” he teases. He takes Hongjoong’s wrist and gently tugs him to the center of the room. “Now come on. I want you to model some things for me.” 

Hongjoong can hardly move from shock. It elicits another laugh from Seonghwa, distracting him from the bits of snakeskin lying on the ground. Hongjoong doesn’t notice it until they’re done, but, as they head back out, he spots the pale ghost of a snake’s scales. Curiously, the cat hybrid bends down to pick it up, finding it to be too big and wide to belong to an actual snake. Seonghwa also doesn’t have any pets. 

_ So who could it be? _ he thinks, still stuck on it even after they’ve eaten dinner and made out in Seonghwa’s bed. The designer is still awake beside Hongjoong, he can tell, though he’s wearing a sleeping mask. 

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong whispers, gently shaking the man. “Seonghwa, are you awake?” 

There’s no answer, and Hongjoong begins to wonder if Seonghwa actually  _ is _ asleep. He sighs, then, and shakes his head, curling up closer to Seonghwa and chasing the warmth of his body. And then, not long after, he falls asleep. 

Once again, Hongjoong is alone when he wakes up. He slowly gets out of bed, looking around tiredly. He can hear Seonghwa making breakfast and he yawns, stretching and shaking the sleep out of his eyes. There are clothes on the dresser, though, this time, they’re definitely for work, so Hongjoong goes to shower before getting dressed. He heads down the stairs and finds Seonghwa to already be dressed as he works in the kitchen, watching the television.

_ “-Working to find the culprits,” _ Chief Bang is saying. He looks  _ very _ stressed out, though Hongjoong doesn’t blame him - he’s probably had all of the city’s press down his throat ever since the accident.  _ “However, please know that everything is fine. There were no casualties-” _

“Ha!” Seonghwa cries. He waggles a finger at the screen. “There were at least two people who were dead there. These rebels know what they’re doing.”

_ “-Stay calm.” _ Chief Bang smiles warmly at the crowd, allowing the shouting of the reporters to fill the silence.  _ “We’re all here for one another. We only ask that you report all and any suspicious activities. Please stay alert so we can stay safe.” _ More pausing, and Hongjoong turns around to find Seonghwa smirking at the screen. 

“So, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says, “what do you think they’ll be doing with this? It’s the first time there’s been such a direct attack upon such an important event - what do you think is going to happen?” 

Hongjoong bites his lip, trying to think of an answer, but Chief Bang saves him. 

_ “Could you repeat that question?” _ he says. 

_ “What do the Councillors think about this? What are they planning to do with this attack? Full-out extermination or stricter laws? Will they punish the culprits?” _

Chief Bang smiles stiffly. 

_ “Thank you so much for your concern,”  _ he says,  _ “but the Councillors will issue their orders when they’ve come to the decision that is best for us all. As for extermination, I must tell you that it isn’t something I am aware of at the moment. However, security will be doubled-up and the curfew will be earlier for hybrids. More guards will be patrolling the streets as well.” _

_ “What about the culprits?” _

“What about the culprits?” Seonghwa mocks. He snorts, reaching for the remote and turning the TV off as he shakes his head. “They’ll have their fun with this little incident, making their little arrests and coming up with quote-unquote ‘culprits’ to satisfy their audience, but will anything except for the curfew actually change? No. It’s all the same.” And then, turning to Hongjoong and gesturing at the pan, he says, “Eggs?” 

“Scrambled, please,” Hongjoong says dazedly. Seonghwa hums and goes back to cooking as Hongjoong sits down, happy to find his inhaler in the pocket of his cardigan. They sit in silence for the time it takes Seonghwa to make breakfast, and then he walks over and places their plates on the table. 

“Coffee or tea, kitty?” he says. 

“Coffee would be great, thank you,” Hongjoong says. He gets up, walking over to wrap his arms around Seonghwa’s waist and hook his chin over his shoulder. “Can you make it sweet?” 

“Would you like a saucer of milk instead?” the designer teases, turning around to kiss his forehead. Hongjoong huffs. “You look cute. Wonder who picked your clothes.” 

“Yeah, me too,” Hongjoong says as he pulls away. “And no, but I want cream and sugar in my coffee please.” 

Seonghwa laughs as he pours a cup, following Hongjoong’s instructions before they finally both sit down at Seonghwa’s kitchen table. 

“So,” Seonghwa says after eating a bite of eggs, “what would you like to do about our relationship?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Seonghwa shrugs. “Well, I am your boss and I just had sex with you a few times-”

“You had sex with me three times.” 

“Yes, three times. We had sex and you’re still working for me. So, how would you like to label us in private and in public?” 

Hongjoong shrugs. 

“Well, I’m a cat hybrid,” he says. “Everyone will just think I’m your little twink.”

Seonghwa scowls. 

“No, they won’t,” he says. “I won’t let them.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together. “Hongjoong, I am your boss, but I also expect you to make a name for yourself out there. I don’t want  _ anyone _ thinking it’s because of me. You’re the one with the talent, I just happened to see you. You’ve only stayed in this job so long because you’re actually  _ good _ at it.” 

Hongjoong pokes at his eggs. 

“Well-”

“No, don’t say that,” Seonghwa says. “Hongjoong, you’ve been taught your entire  _ life _ to be compliant and to diminish your talents. Unlearn it all as soon as you can because it  _ will _ be your downfall if you don’t.” He leans forward, standing up and placing his hands on the table. “It’s hard, I know - I’ve been there too, trust me. But you’re going to have to do it. So. What do you want to say? It’s all up to you.” 

Hongjoong blinks at him, once, twice, and then a third time before he shrugs. 

“Well,” he mumbles, “I think - I think I’ll just tell Yeosang and Mingi and Yunho that we’re - are we dating?” 

“We are courting, I suppose, so I guess dating would work,” Seonghwa says. 

Hongjoong snorts. 

“Okay,” he says. “I’ll just tell them we’re dating, though I don’t plan on saying anything else to anyone at the office. However,” he adjusts the collar of his blouse, though it’s not like it does any good to with how many hickies he has on his neck, “here’s not to say there won’t be other signs.” 

Seonghwa grins. 

“Well then,” he says, “it sounds like a plan.” 

They drive to work together, Hongjoong’s hand in Seonghwa’s the entire time. When they arrive, Seonghwa seems to snap into work-mode, straightening his posture and drawing his neck up as he makes sure he’s not too tense and scowls.

“It’s called a ‘murder walk’ I think,” he whispers to Hongjoong. “Just stand tall, loosen up a bit to make it seem easy and natural, and think that you’ll murder anyone who gets in your way. Trust me, they’ll be dropping like flies.” 

Hongjoong laughs, shaking his head as promises to try it. 

It feels very . . . it feels very strange to walk and have people bend over backward to get out of his way. Nonetheless, Hongjoong lavishes in the power he feels from it as he and Seonghwa head to the elevator. 

“Oh my gosh, it really works!” Hongjoong says, jumping up and down. Seonghwa laughs, picking him up and kissing him. Of course, though, that’s when the doors choose to slide open. 

Seonghwa doesn’t care. He kisses Hongjoong harder, tilting his head and making sure that they’re both breathless when they pull apart. Hongjoong gets out his inhaler and fans himself, flustered from the sudden kiss while Seonghwa remains largely unaffected except for his slightly smudged lipstick. He walks out, Hongjoong following him, and they head to the office. 

“Okay, I  _ know _ you two hooked up,” Yeosang says when they meet. Hongjoong giggles, turning to look over his shoulder at Seonghwa. 

“Yes, no, maybe so,” he says. Yeosang snorts. 

“Well, good for you then. It’s about time you two did something about your sexual tension.” He giggles, shaking his head. “And don’t even get me started on-”

“So y’all dating now?” Mingi says as he walks by. Hongjoong punches him in the arm, hissing at him to be quiet. 

“Yes,” he says. “Shut up, now, Mingi, because I don’t want the whole office to know, you oaf.” 

Mingi gasps, offended, but Yeosang frowns, pointing toward something behind them. 

“Uh, yeah, teasing Mingi is all good and all, but, uh, Mr. Park just left the building.” 

“But he doesn’t-” Mingi says, before interrupting himself and crying, “Wait!” at Hongjoong as the cat hybrid grabs his coat and follows, not bothering to look back. 

~

Chan  _ really _ hates his job. The moment the bombs go off, he and Hyunjin have to run for their lives, cramming themselves into the van. 

“Hoseok, this is Yoongi reporting from van 12, number 1-4-4-6. You there?” Yoongi says once the doors slam shut and Jimin begins driving. Felix begins checking on Hyunjin and Chan, offering bottles of water and cookies from a tupperware container. 

_ “What is it?” _ Hoseok says. 

“Mission appears to be successful, both Hyunjin and Chan have returned. What are the orders?” 

_ “Namjoon says he wants you guys to find a secluded location for the others to catch up. Drop Chan and Hyunjin off at the station first, though, since they’re sure to be called to respond. Hold on, incoming message.”  _

_ “ALL GUARD UNITS REPORT TO BUILDING #106778,”  _ a mechanical voice blares. Chan’s ears jerk and then he sighs, pulling on the netting and changing again. Hyunjin does the same, shaking his head as the van stops. 

“Wait,” Felix says. He grabs Chan’s hand. “Be careful out there, okay?” 

“Of course,” Chan says, nodding and hugging him before he and Hyunjin begin walking off. 

“So . . .” Hyunjin says as they stop near the station, “are you guys dating or something now?” Chan shrugs, checking in and flashing his ID as he grabs a pair of keys. 

“More or less, yeah,” he says. Hyunjin snorts, shaking his head. 

“Finally got over your emotional constipation, did you?” he teases. Chan opens his mouth to respond, but the door bangs open with Seungmin, Changbin, and Jeongin standing in the opening. 

“You idiots,” Seungmin hisses, jabbing a finger at them. “We hardly had any time whatsoever to get here! How could you make us run?! You know how short Binnie’s legs are!” Changbin looks like he’s caught between swooning over the other dog hybrid and hitting him, but Chan decides that there isn’t any time for romance when he gestures at them to follow him outside to the cars. 

“Here we go,” he grumbles. “Let’s go do whatever we’ve gotta do, I guess.” 

_ I just hope Seonghwa and Hongjoong are okay, _ he thinks as Hyunjin drives. The cat hybrid looks worriedly at him, tilting his head. 

“You okay, Hyung?” he says. 

“What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Chan mumbles. He sighs. “Just - I just hope we didn’t do any more than scare them.” 

“With how old the people there were, I’d be surprised if we had only one casualty,” he says. He shakes his head. “Stupid politicians and bitch-ass officials. They’ll get what’s coming to them soon enough.” Chan smiles weakly, laughing a bit. 

“Did someone not get out?” Jeongin says, leaning forward. “Do-” 

“No, none of us got stuck in there,” Hyunjin says, shaking his head. “I checked in with Hyung before we left. He said that he got signals from everyone saying that they all got out safely.” He glances at Chan. “Is there something you’re not telling us?” 

“It’s nothing,” Chan says. He bites his lip and turns to look out the window. “We’re here anyway.” The car stops, and all of them rush out. Chan pulls a mask over his face and a pair of goggles, waving away the dust as they all begin to walk inside. There’s already a team of paramedics on the scene, and Chan can smell blood in the air. He walks carefully around the people, helping those he can, though he counts at least three people who are lying in pools of blood. However, before he can do anything, his phone rings. Chan looks around, making sure that no one sees him, and then he slinks out. 

“Hello?” he says. 

_ “Seonghwa’s car was spotted just a few minutes ago. It looks like our source got to him before the bomb. Everything’s okay, he’s back at his penthouse with his assistant. Until further notice, we can safely assume that they’re both alive and well at the moment,” _ Seokjin says. His voice is calm, and Chan can feel the tension in his posture melting away as he nods. 

“Okay,” he says, “thank you for that. I just - I was really worried.” Seokjin hums, chuckling. 

_ “I could tell,” _ he says.  _ “But yeah, don’t worry. As far as we can tell, Seonghwa and Hongjoong are both perfectly fine.” _ He pauses, and Chan senses a ‘but’.

“Is there a catch somewhere?” he says. “You sound like-”

_ “We just don’t know how long Seonghwa has before the Councillors catch on to what he’s doing,” _ Seokjin says.  _ “We’re hoping we can do something to help him, though I don’t know what.” _

Chan bites his lip, opening his mouth to answer, but Changbin comes out before he can. 

“They’re going to start looking for you if you stay out here for any longer,” he whispers. “Get out there!” 

“Shit, really?” Chan says. Changbin scoffs as they head inside, shaking his head. 

“Yes,” he hisses through gritted teeth, “now come on!” 

They go back inside, watching as the White Guards mill about. There’s an investigator as well, and it looks like most of the people have been moved. 

“Casualties?” Chan says as he walks up to Seungmin. 

“They don’t think I know, but there were three people dead and two who were badly injured,” he murmurs, eyes following the closest White Guard. “They only want us on the scene to make it seem like you’re doing what the public thinks you do. They’ll give you a script for the day after tomorrow, but only after they collect a bit more information. They’re trying to pick out what-”

“Chief Bang,” someone says, their voice devoid of emotion. Chan turns and finds what he thinks to be the head of the Guards, as they do have a special sort of badge on their chest. 

“Yes?” he says. “What is it?” 

“You’re dismissed, sir,” they say. They pull out a screen, handing it to Chan. “Orders from the Councillors. They want you heading home.” 

Chan nods slowly, knowing better than to argue. 

“My unit as well, I’m assuming?” he says. The Guard simply nods, turning away as they continue on with their strange sort of business. Chan signals to the rest of his pack, tilting his head to the door before they head out. 

“What a wild night,” he murmurs. Changbin nods, humming in agreement. 

“You’re right about that,” he says, glancing over at Chan. “How are things looking at the shelter? What are the orders?” 

“Namjoon-Hyung said it’d be best if we all headed to our apartments because they’re planning on doing background checks and adding more surveillance,” he says. He sighs. “While  _ we _ aren’t suspects, it isn’t unlikely that they won’t be monitoring those going in and out of the buildings. You should probably help Seungmin with it.” 

“They’re not having the Guards do it?” Changbin says, his eyebrows shooting up with surprise. “I would’ve thought-”

“Bin, they’re checking the entire  _ city _ ,” Chan says. He snorts. “If they can do that all on their own, well, then there’s a lot more of them than I originally thought. But, as far as I know, right now, Min’s going to be helping with it.” 

“Is Yoongi-Hyung going to help us with the surveillance?” Changbin says, changing the subject as he steers back toward the station. “What did he say about contacting the shelter?”

“Don’t do it too often, though that’s just a normal rule,” Chan says. “So far, I haven’t heard anything from him, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent something out. For now, though, I think we can just stick to the normal rules.” 

Changbin hums, nodding as he bites his lower lip. 

“You taking the train back to your place?” he says. Chan shakes his head. 

“Nah. I’ve got my car around here somewhere.” He shrugs. “It’s fine, though. We’ll probably have something like a day off tomorrow so they can check the hybrid population of the city, so get some rest, yeah? I’ll see you soon.” 

Changbin nods, waving at Chan as the wolf hybrid walks off. He sighs quietly when he sees his car, relieved to find that he didn’t leave it at any suspicious location. And then he drives home.

He hasn’t been home for long when he hears someone knocking on the door. Curiously, Chan gets up, covering his ears and tail as he goes to open the door. 

Standing there is none other than Felix, a box of brownies held in his hands. 

“Hey, Chief,” he says, smiling softly and lifting the box up, “thought you might like some of these.” 

“Lix . . .” Chan says, trailing off as he stares at the brownies and then at Felix. “Aw, you didn’t have to do this. I’m-”

“-In need of a very long nap and some cuddles, yes, I know,” Felix says. He sighs, walking into Chan’s apartment and kicking off his shoes as he goes. He flicks on the light after placing the brownies on the coffee table, going to sit on the couch. 

“Do you have any blankets I could use?” he asks, looking around the little sort of living room. Standing up, he hugs himself and shivers. “It’s so cold in here. Too cold if you ask me, but you and your wolfy-ness are probably perfectly fine with it.” He huffs cutely. “Weirdo.” 

“I can turn up the heat if that’s what-”

“No,” Felix says. He grabs Chan’s wrist and tugs him to the couch, pushing him down and then cuddling up next to him, a purr building in the back of his throat. “I wanna cuddle under the blankets with you and eat brownies until we get sick. Now, where are they?” 

“Uh, the bedroom?” Chan says. Felix’s purring dulls and he stops pressing himself against Chan, pulling away to tilt his head. 

“Is that the  _ only _ place where you have blankets?” he says. Chan shrugs and nods sheepishly, drawing a groan from Felix. 

“Well then,” he says, getting up and grabbing Chan by the wrist with a playful smile, “I guess we’ll just have brownies for breakfast.”

Chan laughs as he follows Felix to his room, watching as the cat hybrid tugs off his little hat and lets his tail uncurl from his waist. And then he pulls his pants down in one go, leaving him in only an oversized t-shirt that smells suspiciously like Chan. 

“Is that mine?” he murmurs after joining Felix under the blankets. The cat hybrid shrugs, nuzzling him. 

“Maybe,” he says softly, “maybe not. I think I wear it better, though.” 

Chan snorts, shaking his head as he pulls Felix closer to him, tangling their legs together beneath the blankets. Felix sighs, tucking his face into the crook of Chan’s neck before he begins to purr happily. 

“Hey, Felix?” Chan whispers. 

“Hm?” 

“Thank you.” 

Chan feels Felix grin against his skin. 

“Good night, Channie-Hyung,” he says, his voice nearly inaudible. 

Chan can’t help grinning goofily into the darkness as he holds Felix tighter. 

“Good night,” he whispers back. 

When Chan wakes up, he’s very nearly drowning in his own sweat. Felix, whenever he sleeps, tends to get very hot, and it isn’t necessarily the best thing in the world. But Chan still grins fondly at the cat hybrid when he slowly opens his eyes, though he has a bit of trouble seeing with how swollen they are. Grunting, Chan slowly untangles himself from Felix, yawning and stretching his arms. 

Beside him, Felix’s ears twitch and he shifts, grumbling in his sleep as he wiggles closer to Chan. The wolf hybrid grins and reaches down to pet his hair, cooing happily. 

“Good morning, sunshine,” he leans down to whisper in Felix’s ear. It earns him a very sleepy hum as Felix rolls closer to him, nuzzling the side of Chan’s thigh.

“Mm . . . mornin’, Channie-Hyungie,” he rasps. Chan giggles, shaking his head. 

“I’m gonna go shower, okay?” he says. “I’ll leave some clothes out for you to borrow, see you.” 

Felix hums, rolling onto his side. Chan shakes his head fondly before grabbing some clothes and heading to the bathroom. 

Chan can admit, though, as he stands in the shower, washing his hair, that he’s feeling much better than he usually does, especially in the morning. He genuinely  _ likes _ sleeping with Felix. He’s always found that his insomnia is better if he sleeps with someone, though, and he’s pretty sure he’s known it since he was pretty young. Something about the warmth of another person has always comforted him, ever since he was a kid. 

After he gets dressed and heads into his living room/kitchen, Chan sits on the couch and opens Felix’s brownie container. Then he closes it and gets up to make himself a cup of coffee. 

Felix joins him a little later. The cat hybrid pads out of Chan’s room, rubbing his eyes cutely as he tries to blink himself awake. Chan coos at him and beckons him over, hugging him. 

“The bed got cold,” Felix rumbles. Chan snorts and kisses the top of his head. 

“Did it, little one?” he says. Felix hums, nodding. “I thought you’d found the perfect little patch of sunlight, though. You sure  _ looked _ pretty satisfied when I left.” 

“Mmm, it’s not the same though,” Felix says, his voice muffled. He sighs. “Missed you.” 

“Well, now we can have brownies for breakfast and watch TV or something. Coffee?” 

“Yes, please,” Felix says. He sighs again and sleepily shuffles toward the couch, lying down on top of it as Chan continues to make coffee.

Their day starts off in a way that can only be described as warm and sleepy. Felix cuddles up against Chan to take a nap after they gorge themselves on brownies, snoozing away on his chest as Chan sits and makes music. It’s something he does in his free time, though he doesn’t have much of that since he’s usually too burnt out by everything else at the end of the day. Now, though, as Felix naps on his chest, he can work without thinking of much, simply happy to sit there and do his own thing. 

They get lunch a few hours later. Felix gets up slowly, purring loudly when he finds Chan, and then his stomach chooses to voice its complaints in the form of a loud, annoyed rumble. 

“Well,” Chan says, “it’s not like brownies are that nutritious. Wanna order something to eat?” 

Felix hums sleepily, curling up closer to the wolf hybrid with a heavy sigh. 

“Mm, that works for me,” he says. His ears press flat against his head as Chan combs his fingers through his hair, typing in a few things on his computer to order some food. 

“You should go hide in the bedroom,” Chan murmurs, gently nudging Felix with his legs. “Come on, Lixie. The delivery guy’s going to see you.” 

Felix grunts, sighing and shaking his head in annoyance as he slowly pads into Chan’s room. Chan watches him with a fond smile before heading to his bathroom and covering his ears and tail, shivering once they’re gone. He’s never quite gotten used to seeing himself without the appendages, and, even after spending years hiding them, it still makes him feel a bit strange when he stares at himself. 

Sighing, Chan shakes his head and grabs a pair of contacts to turn his eyes from gold to brown. Yoongi had said he could permanently change their color, though they hadn’t known too much about how it would affect him later, so Chan had declined. 

Before he can continue his train of thought, though, there’s a knock on his door. Chan heads into the main room of his apartment and opens the door, thanking the delivery man and paying him before he heads to the table and sits down.

“Felix!” he calls. “It’s time for lunch!” 

“Coming!” Felix yells back. It isn’t long before he’s making his way into the kitchen, sitting down on the table. Chan sorts through the food and places their meals on the table, cracking the chopsticks in half and beginning to eat. 

“It’s - this is a nice place,” Felix murmurs. “It’s like the one they gave me.” 

Chan hums. 

“I don’t like it,” he says. He sits back, putting his chopsticks down and looking around the little apartment. “It’s so - it’s just really lonely, I guess.” 

Felix hums back and shrugs, putting his chopsticks down and leaning forward, resting his chin on his palm. 

“Well, yeah,” he says. He tilts his head curiously, frowning a little. “But why do - why do you spend so much time here? The rest of us usually just go back to the shelter and stuff.” He shifts in place. “I - I mean, before - before the accident, you - you came home so - you were really just-” he’s gesturing with his hands, trying to come up with something. “You distanced yourself from us, Hyung.” Looking up with sad, sad eyes, Felix asks, “Did - did you feel like - like you weren’t welcome or something?”

Chan bites his lip.

“I just - it’s not - it didn’t - I mean, I’m the one who  _ brought _ him in, and then he just - and it all just went to shit so I thought - it felt like maybe it’d be best if I started - started keeping my distance,” he says softly, avoiding Felix’s eyes. He shrugs, knowing that the emotions are going to start sneaking into his voice, making it crack loudly. 

“It’s - I mean, maybe I was assuming,” he says, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, “but, I mean, well, you know how I am. I just - I have these - these stupid ideas and then I can’t - I can’t let go of them, I guess?” A sob makes its way up his throat. He hugs himself and keeps his gaze glued firmly to a spot on the floor. “I mean, I dunno. I don’t - more often than not, it - all of this feels like I’m just - just some kid who’s been brought into this mess and is just kind of stumbling along, hoping he’s doing shit right.” More tears, another hand swiping over his eyes. “And, more often than not, I am, but when I don’t - I mean, holy hell, it feels like I never should’ve been born at all. One mistake and I’m down for the count.” Chan sighs, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, his chin resting on his knees as his ears press against his hair and his tail curls around his body. 

Felix stares at him, though Chan can’t tell much else because he’s chosen to keep his eyes glued to a little spot on his floor. 

“Hyung,” Felix says quietly, reaching out to rest a hand on Chan’s shoulder, and Chan hates how he flinches. “Hyungie, do - can I hug you?” 

Chan sniffles and nods, his ears still pressed to his head. Felix gets up and walks over, wrapping his arms around Chan and pressing him against his chest. 

“It’s - it’s really okay to mess things up, Hyung,” Felix says. “We - we’re all family, though. And family means that - it means that we forgive each other, though not when we haven’t done anything wrong.” He pulls away and cups Chan’s face, forcing the wolf hybrid to look up at him. “Chris, you didn’t do anything wrong. What is there to forgive?” 

“But-”

“No,” Felix says. He presses their foreheads together, shutting his eyes and squatting down. “Chris, you didn’t  _ do _ anything. Don’t you understand? Why would we be mad at you for simply - simply being a kind - being a nice guy? Look, is it my fault I was raped when I was twelve?” 

“What? No, of course, not! How-”

“Then how is it  _ your _ fault that  _ Woojin _ fucked up? Is it Minho-Hyung’s fault he doesn’t have a foot? Yoongi-Hyung’s fault that he’s blind in one eye? Namjoon-Hyung’s fault that he can’t walk without a cane?” He squishes Chan’s cheeks. “Is it?” 

“No-”

“And is it Jin-Hyung’s fault that Namjoon-Hyung can’t walk? Is it?” he demands. 

Chan shakes his head. 

“No, but Lix, you don’t understand - I - I  _ enabled _ -”

“You were  _ being _ a nice person,” Felix says. He sighs, sitting on Chan’s lap and shaking his head. “Hyung,  _ listen to me. _ Just - just think about it logically, okay? Is it Minho-Hyung’s parents’ fault that he got auctioned off?” 

“No.” 

“They were dead, but, before that, they  _ knew _ they weren’t going to live very long, so they gave him to someone else. And they thought this person would take care of him, but they didn’t. Is it still their fault that he went through everything he went through?” 

Chan shakes his head. 

“No,” he says softly. “But-”

“Oh my God,  _ Hyung, _ ” Felix groans. He shakes his head, resting his chin on top of Chan’s head and sighing as his tail curls around Chan’s leg. “You know, for someone so smart, you can really be a dumbass sometimes, huh.”

Chan snorts. 

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult,” he says. 

Felix shrugs. 

“I don’t either,” he says. “But you - do you promise to start coming home more? We miss you.” He sighs. “I miss you.” 

Chan hums, nodding. 

“Yeah,” he murmurs, pressing the word against Felix’s skin, “I promise.” 

However, Chan isn’t sure when he’s going to be able to make good on that promise because he has to do some sort of press interview about the attack on the gala just a day later. Seokjin also calls him and says that he and everyone else should be staying in their apartments, just to be safe. Also, he has to meet with the client right after the interview, so Soobin will be coming with them. 

Despite how ugly his schedule looks, Chana still feels relieved that he’s meeting the supplier. It’s good to know that some things have yet to change, at least. 

They drive to the sort of park and Chan finds a crowd of reporters has already filled up the space. He parks the car and gets out, walking toward the stage thing. He can see the cameras turn on, little blue lights flashing as he waves at the crowd, glancing down and finding a script glowing dimly on the screen that’s been placed in front of him. Okay. So that’s what they’re going with. 

(Chan really isn’t surprised. It’s pretty typical of the Councillors to send a script out for things like these, though he’s not supposed to give it away. A lot of people seem to know anyway, though Chan doubts that they know only a few reporters are allowed to talk, and all of them are ones that have been hired by the Councillors to make the situation seem as under-control as possible.)

“Hello and good morning, everyone,” Chan says, leaning toward the mic. He glances at the screen. “We are here today to discuss the events of our most recent Winter Gala.”  _ Pause. Take a breath. _

“Now, as you all know, there was a bombing at the gala,” he says. He looks around, trying to seem reassuring and calm. It’s a lot easier than he wishes it was, though, then again, he’s been doing this for years now. “However, I want everyone to remain calm. Everything is under control and I’m simply here to answer a few questions you may have.”

“Do you know the culprits? Have you caught them yet, Chief Bang?” a woman’s voice calls. Chan feels a mixture of panic and surprise fill him as he sneaks yet another glance at the script, noticing how the question isn’t there. It isn’t on any of the pages. 

“We’re working to find the culprits,” he says.  _ Don’t look nervous, don’t look nervous. It’s probably just them testing you. _ “However, please know that everything is fine. There were no casualties-”  _ Liar. _ “-and we’re very nearly finished with repairs. All we ask is that you all stay calm.” 

A “warm” smile forces its way onto his face, mostly on instinct and out of obligation, as he looks around and pauses for a moment. 

[ _ HALA HALA (Hearts Awakened, Live Alive) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOmhAXRYcqw)

“What do the Councillors think of this?” someone yells, probably bursting a lung in the process. Chan, however, is unable to focus because he’s just noticed a rather familiar gray sweatshirt. He nudges Jeongin with his foot and moves his head toward the hybrid, just a bit so it’s not too obvious. Jeongin looks around until his eyes land on him, and then he turns to Chan with wide eyes. Chan shakes his head. 

“Could you repeat the question?” he says. 

“What do the Councillors think about this?” the reporter says, their voice now lowered because of how the rest of the crowd has quieted down.“What are they planning to do with this attack? Full-out extermination or stricter laws? Will they punish the culprits?”

Chan is unable to hide the stiffness in his smile or posture. 

“Thank you for your concern,” he says, “but the Councillors will issue their orders when they’ve come to the decision that is best for us all.” His eyes dart back to San, but this time, the snake hybrid looks up and tilts his head curiously, daring him to say something. Chan looks away. “As for extermination, I must tell you that it isn’t something I am aware of at the moment. However, security will be doubled-up and the curfew will be earlier for hybrids. More guards will be patrolling the streets as well.”

“What about the culprits?” someone else says. 

Chan’s fingers curl tightly around the edges of the podium. 

“Once again, it’s up to the Councillors. My job is simply to catch them, though I’m sure you’ll be receiving an answer to your question soon enough.” He looks around, feeling someone flick him in the back to calm down. “Does anyone else have any questions?” 

“Hey!” someone says, and, immediately, Chan’s eyes are drawn to the figure in the crowd. San hisses angrily at the reporter and Chan panics as he watches him bite the woman, and then he’s running off before anyone can think to stop him. 

“Shit.” 

~

Soobin is sitting in the car when someone scrambles by, tumbling over the vehicle as they run. Not long after, Chan yanks the door open and climbs inside. 

“Go after him,” he says. He presses his fingers against the earpiece he’s wearing, though Soobin can’t exactly see it. “I’ll take care of traffic. Just drive, okay?” 

Soobin nods, starting the car and pulling away from the park.

“You can go as fast as you want,” Chan murmurs. “Actually, yeah, do that. Hold on.” He sits up straighter, frowning. “Yes. I want all of the roads cleared immediately. Up until H-16, yes, thank you. Okay. Bye.” He sighs, then, and Soobin looks over worriedly. 

“What’s going on?” he says. 

“Black mamba hybrid’s at it again,” he says. “God, two murders in what? A month? Two months? Somewhere in between? I don’t know! What’s he even doing, anyway? It’s not like biting people will make Wooyoung - oh, fuck, is that why?” 

“What?” Soobin says, trying to keep his eyes on the road. Chan presses a few buttons and then Soobin can hear the siren. “What is it?” 

“His friend is dying,” Chan says. “It’s been a few days, but I offered to help get him to a hospital. He said no, but I think he’s gotten desperate.  _ Shit _ .” 

“That sounds about right,” Soobin says, snorting as he continues to drive. “Damn.”

“Mm. You’re right,” Chan says. He digs his nails into the seat, clutching his seatbelt as Soobin speeds after the car that the other hybrid took. “I didn’t know you’d be able to drive so fast.” 

“Yeah, well, I didn’t either. I don’t get to drive a lot, though. I’m lucky I even have a license.” 

Chan snorts, shaking his head. 

“Joon-Hyung wanted to get one for a little bit, but then we discovered that he crashes any car he touches, and it’s not because of his legs. I think he’s the only one of us - except for Taehyun and Jongho, though they might already be licensed, I don’t know - who can’t drive. Yoongi-Hyung said he shouldn’t drive to preserve world peace.” 

“Ouch,” Soobin says, wincing. He watches as the car suddenly jerks and turns onto a smaller street. “Oh, come on, you fucker, couldn’t you just take some normal roads or something? Traffic’s been cleared all for you.” 

Chan cackles beside him as Soobin turns as well, pressing his foot harder on the gas pedal. 

“You’ve been spending too much time with Yeonjun or Felix or - wait, no, you’ve been spending time with Yoongi-Hyung, haven’t you?” 

“Is ‘all of the above and more’ an option?” 

Chan laughs, snorting as he shakes his head. 

“I’ve never really thought of you like that,” he says. Soobin hums, shrugging. He opens his mouth to answer, but, before he can, the car in front of them takes a very sudden u-turn, one that makes the wheels screech in protest.

“Fuck!” Soobin yells. Chan has a hand over Soobin’s chest as he digs his nails into the door, though Soobin hardly pays him any attention at all as he spins the wheel and presses his foot as hard as he can against the gas pedal. The other car definitely has a driver who’s been in a situation like this before, and Soobin will admit that it’s put him at a clear disadvantage. He just won’t say it out loud. 

“Stop!” Chan suddenly yells, grabbing the wheel. The snake hybrid in front of them has pulled his car into an alleyway and Soobin is seconds away from crashing into him. He slams down on the breaks and twists the wheel so he can try and avoid a head-on collision as best as he can, shutting his eyes and waiting for the impact.

However, it never comes. 

“I’m going inside,” Chan whispers, “distract them for me, will you? I’ll call back up to help you, just keep them outside.” 

Soobin nods, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind him. He looks around, crossing his arms as the cops stop. His tail flicks as he looks around, watching Changbin, Seungmin, Jeongin, and Hyunjin get out of their vehicles. 

“What’s he doing?” Changbin whispers, walking up. 

“He didn’t say. He just wants us to keep them outside. He called back up for us, though I think it’s the same for them,” Soobin murmurs, looking around. Soobin nods. 

“All right,” he says. “Just stay back for a bit. I’ll give you guys the signal if we need help keeping them out. Go and hang around in the back, we’ll try our best.” 

Soobin nods, going to stand in the shadow of an alleyway. Changbin takes over by the car, looking around. His arms are crossed over his chest and he’s tense, his eyes dark and unreadable. Soobin watches as more police cars pull up near the apartment and several people get out, going up to Changbin. Soobin, scared that he’ll be spotted, climbs up a fire escape and sits there, his tail swishing behind him as he watches Changbin talk with the other officers. What they’re saying is muffled, though Soobin can pick up enough bits and pieces to know that he’s explaining the situation and coming up with a plausible lie. 

_ Hurry up, Chan-Hyung, _ Soobin thinks, turning to look at the building.  _ Please hurry up. _

However, it soon becomes clear that they’re going to be here for a long time. Soobin knows it, Changbin knows it, Seungmin knows it, Jeongin knows it, Hyunjin knows it - but, worst of all, the officers know it too. And they begin getting antsy, asking Changbin questions that he tries to answer as best as he can. 

Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Beomgyu arrive a few minutes later, Beomgyu reaching back into the car to grab Hueningkai and drag him out. Thankfully, they all seem to stop their bickering when they see the officers and, later, Soobin sitting perched on a fire escape. He tilts his head toward Changbin and mouths ‘Wait’ at them, getting lower on the fire escape. 

They’ve been out for fifteen minutes or so when the officers start pressuring to let them in. Changbin raises his hands up in front of his chest and tilts his head to the side a bit, showing the tiny little tattoo of a gladiolus on his skin. Soobin gestures to Yeonjun, Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Hueningkai, then, tilting his head toward the cops. 

Hueningkai, very promptly, grabs a trash can and drops it. It lands with a crash, and everyone looks over at him. 

“You stupid fuckin’ cops!” he yells, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Stupid-ass mother-puckers!” 

Soobin sighs, facepalming and shaking his head as the cops walk over to Hueningkai. 

_ You’re going to say ‘fuck’ but not ‘motherfucker? _ he thinks. 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Yeonjun says, getting in front of Hueningkai. “Stay away from him. He’s just a kid, he didn’t mean any of that.” 

“Yeah? Well, it sure seems like he did,” one of the officers spit. Yeonjun scowls, baring his teeth. 

“Did it, now? Well then why don’t you just  _ fuck off _ !” he yells. Soobin sighs again, shaking his head. While it’s a great distraction, he’s pretty sure that there are better ways that this could’ve been executed.

“You little-”

Taehyun throws the first punch. Soobin is sure that he’s going to have a mark on his face from how many times he’s facepalmed, but it at least gives everyone something else to worry about instead of Chan. 

Speaking of which, they need to get to that meeting. As if it’s reading his mind (though he wouldn’t be surprised if it was), his BluScreen buzzes in his pocket. 

_ Where are you? _ the message says. It’s from an unknown number, though Soobin would be surprised if it’s coming from the supplier’s actual phone. He curses and slides his phone into his pocket, shaking his head and missing the van that pulls up nearby. He leaps down from the fire escape and quietly sneaks away, following the little map on the screen in his hand. He runs quickly, hood over his head, until he finally finds the spot. 

However, instead of the usual mask-up hat-down disguise that their supplier usually wears, Seonghwa Park stands leaned against the wall of the building, his mask hanging off of one ear and his hat pushed back. 

“What the fuck?” 


	9. Pit of Vipers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan finds himself in charge of taking Wooyoung and San to the shelter, Hongjoong discovers Seonghwa's biggest secret, and Soobin makes some new discoveries as well as meeting two new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully ch 10 will be out sometime this week, and, as for the sequel, I'm gonna do some other shorts before that, so it might be a while before I put it out. idk

Chan stands in San and Wooyoung’s apartment, his hands held in front of him as the black mamba hybrid tears his things apart. 

“He’s not waking up!” he yells. His hands go to his hair and tug, then they jerk back down to his sides. “Do you hear me?! Wooyoung isn’t waking up!” 

“I know, San,” Chan says gently. He takes a singl step forward, trying to refrain from scaring the other hybrid. “Just calm down for a second, okay? We can fix this.” 

San looks up, his black eyes wild as his lips part from his teeth, snarling angrily. 

“How?!” he demands. He points at Wooyoung lying still in the bed, his skin pale. “Do you see him?! Do you see  _ me _ ?!” San pulls his eyelids away from his eyes, tugging his lip away from his mouth with his other hand. His tongue is forked and his fangs glitter, and then he’s freeing his hands and glaring at Chan. “You don’t understand, do you? Stupid fucking bastard, thinking you’re all high and mighty because you get to play a part as a  _ human. _ ” He spits on the ground, looking up. “I hate you and all you stand for.” 

“San, I’m going to help you,” Chan says. “But if you don’t  _ calm down, _ then the cops out there are going to come up here to  _ kill _ you and Wooyoung. And then they win. Now, do you want my help or do you want to die?”

San stops his pacing, turning to Wooyoung, maybe hoping that he’ll wake up and reveal that he’s fine, making it so San doesn’t need to take Chan’s offer of help. Of course, though, the fox hybrid remains still, his chest slowly moving up and down. 

Finally, San begrudgingly turns to Chan, his fists clenched by his sides as his obsidian eyes glitter with unshead tears. 

“Fine,” he grits out. “What, Chief Bang, is your oh-so great plan to save my boyfriend’s life?” 

Chan bites his lip to keep an insult from slipping out. 

“Just do as I say,” he says, rolling his eyes. 

Once Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok’s van parks in front of the building and Chan gets the message, he begins helping San cover up his more serpentine features. 

“You have makeup with you?” he asks. San points toward the bathroom. 

“It’s Woo’s,” he mumbles. “Don’t mess it up too much, he - it’s from an old friend of his.”

“What happened to them?” Chan asks before he can think better of it. San, though, is sitting on the bed, Wooyoung’s head in his lap as he nervously runs his fingers through his hair. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting up any time soon, especially not to attack. 

“Cut us off when he found out Woo was using the money he sent to buy drugs,” he says under his breath. “He stopped contacting us.” Shrugging, San, sighs sadly. “Woo is just - he’s just - he’s not a bad person, he’s just really sad. He comes from a family that was torn apart when he was a kid and he grew up around this stuff. Yeosang helped him and I helped him, but shit happens, you know? Life gets in the way of getting better, and Woo couldn’t cut it.” The tears are falling from his eyes now, diamond droplets escaping from obsidian spheres. “And I just - fuck, you know, before everything went to shit and all, I was scraping together to buy a ring.” He sighs heavily, wiping his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I didn’t want Yeosang’s help with buying it. I wanted to get Wooyoung something  _ I’d _ worked for, and asking for money from Yeosang doesn’t take anything except for a little bit of lost pride. Like, can you believe it? I went from saving up for a ring to buying drugs along with supporting both of us,” San says. He looks at Wooyoung, shaking his head sadly. “Man, addiction sucks, doesn’t it?” 

Chan hums, nodding. 

“Well,” he says quietly, “when - when wew get him out, you two are both going to be brought to a shelter.” He crouches down by San, getting out the makeup and trying to do it as best as he can. “There are hybrids there who can help both of you - with whatever happened to him and his addiction. They know - it wouldn’t be the first time.” 

“What’s your sob story, chief?” San says, tilting his head to the side. “You’ve gotta come from some sort of shitty background if you’re doing what you do.” 

Chan snorts, shaking his head. 

“Lab,” he says. “Parents dead, siblings missing, and then I was taken out. We stayed in Australia long enough for me to get the accent, then we came here.” 

“Who’s ‘we’?” 

“Me and my Hyungs,” Chan says. “You’ll meet them when you get to the shelter.” 

San hums, nodding as he stands up. 

“I think that’s enough,” he says. “You haven’t applied makeup before, have you?” 

Chan shakes his head. 

“Nah, not really,” he says. He turns to Wooyoung. “We need to package him up, though. Transporting a body - well, it’s no easy task, that’s for sure. You got any big boxes around here?” 

Carefully, San wraps Wooyoung in sheets after San puts in a pair of contacts. Chan goes to find him a hat and coat while San stays with Wooyoung. He can hear the snake hybrid talking softly to his boyfriend, his voice lowered in hopes of Chan not overhearing. Chan pretends not to as he searches through the messy bedroom, finding a few clothes and loading them into a backpack. He spots a few pictures and finds one of a familiar cheetah hybrid, though-

_ That’s the cheetah hybrid who works for Mr. Park, _ Chan realizes as he stares at the photo. He’s got his arm slung around Wooyoung’s shoulders, the photo taken with both of them mid-laugh. They’re at the beach and Yeosang (that’s how he introduced himself) has a large sun hat on while Wooyoung stands in a t-shirt, tail a blur behind him. 

Chan finds another photo, though this one has someone he actually  _ knows _ in it. It’s Jongho, holding Yeosang up as the cheetah hybrid gets ready to swipe at him. There’s another picture of all four of them, laughing at something someone said. They all look younger, that’s for sure. San and Wooyoung both have lost weight since then, as has Jongho, and Yeosang’s hair was shorter and not yet blond. 

_ This is really sad, _ Chan thinks as he gently touches each figure in the photos. They all look so happy in these small moments, trapped on this beach where they are still yet to find out what happens in their futures. 

_ I wonder when this was, _ he thinks as he puts the pictures in the backpack.  _ What happened between Jongho and Yeosang, and where does Taehyun come into the picture? Why did Wooyoung start doing drugs again? What happened with Jongho and all of them?  _

He sighs, shaking his head. He doubts San would answer, and Jongho would probably get defensive if he asked. Taehyun might’ve told Beomgyu, though it’s unlikely that anyone else knows. He should probably wait until he knows all of them better. 

“Here,” Chan says, handing San the backpack. The snake hybrid nods, tugging his hat low so it hides his eyes. He pulls his mask over his nose and looks around, shoving his gloved hands into his pockets. He looks like a normal delivery guy, and, with Wooyoung in a box (that San had very carefully used a butterfly knife to carve holes into) he shouldn’t be hard to smuggle out under the noses of the cops. 

“Bite this, will you?” Chan says, offering San his jacket. “I’ll have to make it look like you got away, do you have-”

“There’s red coloring in the kitchen,” San says. He grabs the jacket and bites into it, scowling and pulling away as his fangs retract. “Are your friends coming anytime soon?” 

There’s a knock at the door, then, and Chan grins. He checks his reflection in one of the windows, deciding that his fake bloody nose is sufficient enough to fool the cops, and then he turns to San. 

“I’ll get it,” he says. “You stay here.” 

San snorts, tossing his head back as he crosses his arms over his chest. Chan walks over to the door and unlocks it, opening it slowly. 

“Hey,” Yoongi says. He adjusts the hat on his head. “We’re here to pick up a package?” 

Chan nods, gesturing to San. 

“Careful with the box,” he says as the cat hybrid walks inside, Jimin and Hoseok following closely behind. “There’s-”

“-A hybrid in here,” Jimin says. “There are two of you.” He points at San and Chan, then he turns to the box. “Someone’s in the box.” 

“He’s unconscious,” San says, watching through dark eyes. “He can’t walk and this guy said it’d be easier to move him if he was in a box.” 

“Well,” Hoseok says, knocking gently on the box and almost giving Chan a heart attack because San looks like he’s seconds away from snapping at him, “it looks like you guys did a pretty good job. I can’t smell anything dead in here.”

San grunts, turning away and carefully picking the box up. Jimin goes to help him and misses how San tenses, his muscles going stiff enough that it’s visible underneath his large, ratty coat. Yoongi notices, though, and rests a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder, shaking his head. 

“He can carry it,” he whispers. “I don’t think he wants us to touch the box.” 

Jimin steps back and San is quick to hold Wooyoung’s box against his chest, watching the other four hybrids with cold, nervous eyes. He turns to Chan, then, and the wolf hybrid realizes that he’s not just nervous - San is absolutely  _ terrified _ right now. He doesn’t have a single idea what’s going on, and it’s unlikely that he fully trusts Chan. 

“It’s going to be okay,” the wolf hybrid says. “There’s a van outside, parked in the back. You won’t have to worry about getting caught, trust me. These three specialize in stuff like this. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done it.” He looks around at Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jimin, all of which are nodding. Then, Chan rests a hand on San’s shoulder, smiling gently. “They’re going to help you. We’re all going to help you and there’s nothing to worry about, okay?” 

San nods slowly, and then he sets Wooyoung’s box down before pulling Chan into a hug. 

“Thank you,” he whispers, holding the wolf hybrid tightly. “Thank you so much.” 

Chan is a bit lost for a moment, but Yoongi’s not-so-subtle eyeroll and Jimin’s snicker both help him realize that he’s supposed to hug San back. 

The snake hybrid is very small, Chan notices. Well, no, not really - his shoulders are broad and, despite his (assumed) malnourishment, he’s still pretty muscular. But something about the way he tucks his shoulders in and digs his nails into Chan’s back as if he’s afraid of him disappearing makes him feel a bit (read: a lot) like a child in Chan’s arms. So he hugs San as tightly as he can, wishing him the best of luck. 

“It’s going to be okay,” he promises, squeezing San’s hands when he pulls away. San nods, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before he grabs Wooyoung’s box and turns to Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok. 

“Okay,” he says, “I’m ready.” 

Chan would watch them go to make sure everything works out, but his phone buzzes with a message from the supplier, demanding to know where he is. Cursing, Chan looks around until he finds a window and throws it open, making sure he has all of his things before he clambers down the side of the building. 

He’s walking so fast that he doesn’t see the familiar pair of cat ears in front of him. He crashes into the other hybrid with a grunt, waving his arms around and just barely catching him when he cries out. 

“Ch-Chief Bang!” Hongjoong stammers, his eyes wide and surprised. 

“Mr. Kim,” Chan says, standing up. Hongjoong is wearing heels, making him taller than Chan. “Where are you going?”

~

“Where are you going?” Chief Bang says, curiously and even a bit amicably, seemingly giving off the sort of idea that they’re friends of some sort. Not as if Hongjoong knows his biggest secret, and not as if Chief Bang could kill him right here and no one would question it. Huh. Strange.

Hongjoong blinks once, twice, before looking down. He’s wearing a skirt and cardigan in the middle of winter and his heels certainly aren’t helping, though they do make him taller than the chief of police. He lowers his ears nonetheless and tries to make himself smaller.

“My - my boss, Mr. Park, he’s - he forgot something at work,” he mumbles, picking at the hem of his skirt. He feels humiliated like this, what with Chief Bang staring at him, probably thinking that he’s missing from his porn set or something like that. 

“I’ll walk you,” he offers then, and Hongjoong’s head jerks up in surprise. 

“You’ll what?” he squeaks and the man shrugs. 

“Come on, it seems like we were going in the same direction anyway. Let me walk you,” he says. 

Hongjoong nods weakly and tries not to cry as he looks down and continues to walk. He keeps a reasonable (well, maybe slightly unreasonable to Chief Bang, but Hongjoong thinks it would be acceptable if he wanted to walk on the other side of the street from him) distance away from the other hybrid, staring down at his feet and praying his nervousness doesn’t get the best of his sense of smell. He’s following the now-familiar scent of Seonghwa’s cologne, moving quickly and hoping Chief Bang will leave him alone soon. He shivers and wraps his arms around himself, cursing stupid past-Hongjoong for leaving his coat in the car. 

_ Why would you do that? Are you stupid? _ he asks himsel, scowling as he walks quickly. He shakes his head and sighs loudly, still yet to notice the worried looks that Chief Bang continuously sends him.  _ Your stupid inhalere was in the pocket, dammit. _

Hongjoong huffs, speeding up a bit. He doubts that he’ll be able to lose the other hybrid, even if he was to kick his heels off and sprint away, though hopefully Chief Bang will get wherever he needs to go and he’ll leave Hongjoong alone. 

However, Seonghwa’s scent gets stronger and Chief Bang continues to follow him. Hongjoong grows antsier with each step they both take, continuously sneaking not-so-subtle glances over his shoulder at the other male. 

“Um, uh, Chief Bang?” he says softly. “Are - are you lost?” 

The hybrid stiffens, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and staring at Hongjoong. 

“No,” he says finally, “I have a map. Uh, are you?” 

Hongjoong shakes his head quickly, mumbling an apology before speed-walking toward wherever Seonghwa seems to be. He can hear someone say, “What the fuck?” and he curses, speeding up. 

What he finds there is definitely not what he expected. Seonghwa and the panther hybrid who followed him onto the train are standing in an alley, staring at each other with wide eyes. Seonghwa has a mask hanging from his ear and a fedora on his head, his cheek bulging with a lollipop. 

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong says. 

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa says. He looks scared as he pushes himself off of the wall and takes a few steps forward. His eyes are golden. “Hongjoong, I can-”

_ Holy shit, I can’t breathe, _ Hongjoong thinks.  _ Holy shit, is this an asthma attack or a panic attack? _

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa says, panic ebbing into his voice. “Hongjoong, oh my God!” He rushes forward just as Hongjoong’s legs give out under him, catching the cat hybrid in his arms. “Where’s your inhaler? Is this - never mind, I know. Hongjoong, where’s your inhaler?” 

The cat hybrid chokes, gasping for air and coughing. It’s a bad one, the worst he’s had in a very long time. 

“Is - he has asthma?” the panther hybrid says. 

“Duh! Hold on, this will have to wait. I’m calling - Hongjoong!” 

And then everything goes black. 

Hongjoong wakes up in a hospital bed, strangely enough. He opens his eyes slowly before he shuts them again, grumbling and covering his face with his arm. 

“Why,” he asks no one in particular. “Why.” 

“You’re awake,” Seonghwa says from above and beside him. Hongjoong hums, nodding and keeping his eyes closed. 

“Yes,” he says, “unfortunately.” 

Seonghwa snorts, and Hongjoong guesses that he shakes his head. 

_ “I’ll tell you in the car,” _ he says, switching to Korean. Hongjoong hums, cracking an eye open and peeking curiously at Seonghwa. He’s holding his hand weirdly, showing Hongjoong his wrist, and then the cat hybrid realizes that there’s something in Korean written on it. 

_ We’re being watched. Just act like my assistant, _ it says. Hongjoong’s eyes dart up to Seonghwa’s face and he finds him to be staring nonchalantly out the large window, drumming his nails on Hongjoong’s bedside table. His legs are crossed and he looks bored, though, when he notices Hongjoong’s eyes have opened, he rubs his fingers over his wrist and the message disappears. 

_ ‘Just a bit longer,’ _ he mouths. 

And then, before Hongjoong can truly process what’s happening, he and Seonghwa are leaving the hospital. They walk to the car and Seonghwa keeps a protective hand resting on the small of Hongjoong’s back as they move through the parking lot, opening the door for the cat hybrid before getting in himself. 

“I’ll explain when we get home,” Seonghwa says, putting on his sunglasses and starting the car. Hongjoong nods, turning to look out the window while twisting his tail in his hands. 

“I stopped by your car since your keys were in your pocket, in case you were wondering,” Seonghwa says, probably to start some sort of conversation. “Your stuff is in the backseat, and I had your car driven back to the building.” 

Hongjoong nods, chewing on his lower lip. 

“I - I’m sorry for following you,” he says quietly, unable to look at Seonghwa as he apologizes. “I doubt-”

“I don’t blame you,” Seonghwa interrupts. “I’m . . . I don’t have the greatest track record when it comes to things like suspicious activities. My life is known to be rather exclusive, though, isn’t it?” he says. He grins into the rearview mirror and Hongjoong smiles a bit, unable to stop himself. He shrugs. 

“Yeah, I guess,” he says. Then, nervously, he asks, “But - I mean, you’re not mad, are you?” 

“Nah,” Seonghwa says. “Like I said, I’m a mysterious person. However,” he turns to look at Hongjoong this time, “if we are to pursue a relationship, Hongjoong, you have to trust me. And while in this instant I don’t blame you, I hope you won’t always feel the need to follow me whenever I leave rather suddenly and without warning.” 

Hongjoong looks down at his hands and nods slowly, embarrassed. Seonghwa must notice because he removes one of his hands from the steering wheel and laces their fingers together, squeezing softly. 

When Hongjoong looks up at him, he says, “It’s really okay, Hongjoong-ah. I’m not mad at you. I find it highly unlikely that you had any ill intentions when you left. I don’t think you’re like that.” 

Hongjoong looks down at their intertwined hands and then up at Seonghwa. 

“I’m sorry,” he whimpers, “I’m so sorry for following you, Hwa, I didn’t mean it, I’m-”

“Hongjoong, for goodness’ sake, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Seonghwa says. “Sweetie, I’m not mad at you. I’ve been weaving in and out of the office ever since you started working with me, and there’s no reason for you not to be curious.” He looks over after parking the car, unbuckling his and Hongjoong’s seat belts so he can pull the cat hybrid into his lap. “Hongjoongie, when did I ever say I was mad?” 

“N-Never,” Hongjoong says. 

“Exactly. Now, does it  _ seem _ like I’m mad?” 

“No.” 

“Then I’m not mad,” Seonghwa says. He kisses Hongjoong’s nose. “Why don’t we go inside now, hm? I’ll explain there.” 

Hongjoong nods, then he gets out of the car. Seonghwa grabs his coat for him and they walk together to the lobby, taking the elevator up to Seonghwa’s floor. 

“Here we are,” Seonghwa says, unlocking the door. “You know, maybe I’ll have some keys made for you. I’m planning on taking you out first, since our other date was . . . well, it was kind of bombed, though I’m sure-”

“Seonghwa.” 

“Hm?” the man says, turning around. He’s filling his kettle with water, and he tilts his head. “What is it?” 

“Do you really wear contact lenses to make your eyes gold?” Hongjoong says. 

Seonghwa laughs, shaking his head as he goes to perch on one of the stools at the kitchen island. 

“Come over here, kitty,” he says, beckoning Hongjoong toward him. The cat hybrid walks over slowly until he gets to his own stool, and then he sits down. Seonghwa rinses his hands in the sink and dries them off, and then he pulls his eyelids away from his eyes and removes the contacts. 

His eyes are pure gold. The part that would usually be colored, the sclerae (Hongjoong thinks) are a few shades darker than the ‘whites’ of his eyes, and his pupils are black slits. Seonghwa blinks curiously at Hongjoong, tilting his head to the side. And then, before Hongjoong can say anything, he gets up and heads to the bathroom. It isn’t long before he returns, though, and he has a pack of makeup wipes with him. 

“Would you like to do the honors?” he says, holding one out to the cat hybrid. He points to his cheekbones. “Wipe really hard. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt.” 

Hongjoong nods, nevously leaning forward and pressing the wipe against Seonghwa’s skin. He reaches up with his other hand to cup his jaw, slowly cleaning Seonghwa’s makeup off. 

Like tiny, barely-there freckles, Seonghwa’s face has scales dotting it. There are patches on the outer corners of his eyes, though, other than that, there isn’t anything too noticeable. He still looks like Seonghwa, just without makeup and scales and different eyes. 

“I’m assuming your teeth weren’t sharpened, then?” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa nods, opening his mouth. He reaches inside and pokes around until the two teeth next to his central incisors (his lateral incisors? Hongjoong doesn’t know, he’s not a dentist) elongate into a pair of fangs. 

“Correct,” Seonghwa says. He sticks his tongue out, showing how it’s forked in the middle. “This is real too. Most everything is, really, and I just let them do what they wanted with their silly little stories. It was easier than trying to explain it myself.” 

Hongjoong nods, still a bit too awestruck by this sudden reveal to say anything coherent. But really, it explains . . . a lot, he supposes. The heated office, the snake-themed everything, the aversion to dairy, and, of course, the snakeskin - all of it makes a lot of sense now that he thinks about it. But people simply assumed that Seonghwa was just an eccentric millionaire, so he got away with it. But . . .

“How did you hide it when you came here?” Hongjoong says. 

Seonghwa shrugs. 

“Well,” he says, “I suppose I’ll have to start from the beginning to answer that.” He sighs, picking at his lower lip. “So, you’ve heard of hybrid villages, haven’t you?” 

Hongjoong nods and Seonghwa seems pleased, smiling a little. 

“I was originally born in one of those. Me and my brother - my older brother, that is - were playing in Eomma’s kitchen. Just messing around, we weren’t doing anything wrong, we were just kids.” He scowls. “And then the door burst open and maybe he was one of my cousins but I don’t know, but the boy standing there told us that there were poachers.” Seonghwa swallows like saying the word leaves a lump in his throat. 

“I thought that was illegal,” Hongjoong says. 

Seonghwa snorts.

“They don’t care. Humans don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves,” he spits. “But yeah. Eomma sent me and Minseok-Hyung out of the house.” He pauses, his eyes glazed over, and then he says, very quietly, “They gunned her down while we were escaping. And then Hyung grabbed me and pushed me out the window. We bled so much.” Seonghwa’s voice has lost any emotions it might have had before and now is only small and recounting, making Hongjoong wonder just how much he’s been affected. 

“Seonghwa,” he says gently, reaching over, “you don’t-”

“I’ve never told anyone, though,” Seonghwa says. His eyes are glassy with tears. “Hongjoong-ah, please let me tell you.”

Hongjoong bites his lip but he nods, his stomach churning as Seonghwa looks down at his hands, maybe imagining the blood on them. 

“Glass hurts a lot,” he says softly. Hongjoong nods, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together. “Hyung and I kept running, though. I’ve never run so fast before. I think we were both crying and the salt made the cuts on my face sting, but I couldn’t wipe them off. Hyung used a leaf to clean us up.” 

_ He’s dead, isn’t he? _ Hongjoong thinks but doesn’t say. Minseok, though, is almost definitely dead from how Seonghwa talks about him. 

“He made us hide, and then we heard the poachers calling for us. I started to whimper, so he threatened to bite me and leave me behind. I knew he wouldn’t, but I was a . . . I was eight years old when it happened. He was thirteen, I think, since we didn’t really keep track.” He shivers, looking at his teacup and then back at Hongjoong. The cat hybrid squeezes his hand, quietly encouraging him to go on.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Seonghwa says. He wipes his eyes and curses again, shaking his head. “It’s just - I - it’s so vivid. I can very nearly smell the forest. It was in the summer and it was a hot, hot summer. And I remember how the bugs had been drawn to the scent of our blood, but Minseok-Hyung said that he’d protect me from the other animals. The other hybrids.” Seonghwa shakes his head. “We heard the poachers. They were men, and they called out to us like parents would if their children weren’t coming inside. Minseok-Hyung pushed me onto the ground and pressed my face into the dirt until I could see the bugs crawling toward me. But Hyung had told me to be quiet, so I shut up.”

_ I don’t like this story. _

“The poacher found us, then,” Seonghwa says. He’s bitter, but there isn’t much else. “He grabbed Minseok-Hyung by the scruff of his neck and muzzled him before doing the same to me. They carried us to their truck and dumped us in the back, and then they began to drive. Minseok-Hyung’s nose was bleeding and he looked like he was going to cry.” A few more tears slide down Seonghwa’s cheeks, black with his mascara. “And then he told me to close my eyes and curl into a ball. I did, and then he started screaming and thrashing.” Seonghwa slowly rolls his sleeve up, showing Hongjoong two faint puncture wounds. “He bit me and made me cry even more, and his ruckus was so great that the driver missed a log that sent the jeep into a tree.” 

Seonghwa stares silently at the space in front of him. 

“Something else must have happened, though,” he says, “because the car exploded. The front of it, at least. Minseok-Hyung - he’d crawled into the front with them.” 

The implication of the sentence is clear, and Hongjoong wishes he could vomit and scream at the people who killed Seonghwa’s family. 

“They - his neck, it was twisted at a weird angle,” he says, laughing a bit. “I remember. His eyes were open and I yelled his name. My head was bleeding.” He touches his left temple gingerly. “But Minseok-Hyung had a knife in his gut. He was dead before I was conscious enough to check on him. But he’d bitten the poachers too.” Seonghwa looks down at his hand as if he can’t believe they belong to him. “And then, God, I was so angry, so I just - I grabbed one of them by the hair and slammed his head into the wheel. I screamed and cried the entire time. I did it with the other one too, but then - then I saw Minseok-Hyung and he was just - he was staring at me. It was weird.” He laughs softly, smiling emotionlessly down at his and Hongjoong’s interlaced hands. “It still  _ is  _ weird, even after all these years. But it was - it was like he was telling me that I was becoming the monster. And it scared me so much that I just - I stopped. And then I lifted him out of the truck and tried my best to give him a funeral. There was - there was a little stream nearby, and I washed him in it. I don’t know if I cried or not.” Seonghwa opens his mouth and lets out a pained little whimper, looking up as if Minseok will appear right in front of him. “I buried him a little bit later, and then I began running. Sooner or later, I was taken in by some humans. They sent me to an orphanage after taking care of me for a bit, and I was adopted when I turned nine.

“Holy fuck, was it weird,” Seonghwa says. He laughs, and it sounds a bit more genuine. “I mean, they didn’t tell anyone I was a snake hybrid. They did my makeup until I could, and then they sent me off. I had a younger sister and brother, and they were twins.” Another laugh, this one sprinkled with more happiness than the last. “Shit, they were  _ awful _ . If I wasn’t having nightmares, I was dreaming about how I could murder them.” Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head at his past self or maybe his adoptive family. “They were planning to have me model, actually, but then they saw the scales and my eyes. So, I guess, they decided not to. Which, I guess, helped me in the long run because it made sure I’d never been seen by the rest of the world.” 

Hongjoong hums, nodding in agreement. Seonghwa squeezes his hand and sighs. 

“And then you know the bit about how I snuck into America, illegally, I guess,” Seonghwa says. He chuckles and Hongjoong joins in. “I was a smart kid, really, but my gayness was just so overt, I swear that everyone knew the moment they looked at me. And then x, y, and z happened, and I ended up here. I was someone’s assistant and sugar baby for a bit, and then the guy died and left me his inheritance.” Seonghwa shrugs. “I used the money and enrolled myself into a design school where I topped my class and classmates, and then one thing led to another and here I am.” Seonghwa shrugs again, picking at his nails. 

“How did you get involved with the - with Chief Bang?” Hongjoong says.

“Yeosang dropped a card with information on it, so I took a picture and then left it on his desk. I think he thinks it was Mingi since Mingi doesn’t want to risk getting involved with this stuff.” Seonghwa shrugs yet again. “I’ve already been assisting it, I guess. I donate anonymously to this program that helps kids who were like me. But hybrids, I guess. And I just happened to add this sort of rebellion to my list,” he says. “I guess, though, that the organization I donate to is the one that is the upfront of the rebellion. The . . . uh, I think it’s called ‘Paw-some’ or something cheesy like that.” 

“That sent me here,” Hongjoong blurts before he can stop himself. “I - I came here on a grant from them because one of my teachers thought I was talented. That’s how I got here.” 

Seonghwa stares at him, smiling softly. And then he leans forward and presses his lips against Hongjoong’s. 

“I know,” he murmurs when he pulls away. “I get a list of all of the hybrids they help. I like to see where you all go.” 

“So-”

“No, I didn’t hire you just for that,” Seonghwa says. He snorts. “Darling, don’t you see how talented you are? I don’t hire people just because they’re pretty or I’ve funded them coming here or anything like that. I hired you because I looked at your work and I was impressed by it. There’s nothing else to it.” 

Hongjoong blinks at him a few times before he throws himself into Seonghwa’s arms. 

“Thank you,” he whispers hoarsely. “Thank you so much for everything.” 

Seonghwa hums, kissing the top of his head.

“Thank you, Hongjoong,” he says. “I’m so happy I met you.” 

Seonghwa takes the day off and Hongjoong joins him, though only after much begging on Seonghwa’s part. They sit together in the man’s living room and watch TV, cuddling. Seonghwa makes lunch and later dinner, and then they go to sleep together. 

“Was it hard?” Hongjoong whispers as he traces the scales on Seonghwa’s face. 

“Was what hard?” 

“To hide,” Hongjoong says. He kisses each pach and then pulls Seonghwa closer, tangling their legs together beneath the blankets. “It seems like it was hard.” 

“It was,” Seonghwa murmurs. He kisses Hongjoong, licking his lower lip and then sliding his tongue into his mouth to explore. Hongjoong tangles his fingers in Seonghwa’s hair, humming softly. “It was very hard,” Seonghwa says when he pulls away. 

“I hope you don’t have to keep it up for much longer,” he says softly. 

“Me too.” Seonghwa smiles through the darkness, pressing their foreheads together. “I don’t think I will. There’s . . . just, can you sense it? The stillness.” 

“The calm before storm,” Hongjoong says, giggling. Seonghwa giggles in turn, kissing his cheek. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. “The calm before the storm. It’s coming.”

The next day starts out similarly to the one before it. But this time Seonghwa holds Hongjoong’s hand as they walk in, laughing and talking with him. Hongjoong clings to the older hybrid and he’s certain that he looks absolutely lovesick, but, well, Seonghwa’s eyes are extra sparkly today, gold glittering as he looks at Hongjoong. 

“You’re beautiful,” he breathes. Seonghwa looks at him, tilting his head curiously before he laughs, leaning down to kiss Hongjoong on the cheek.

“So are you,” he says against his skin. Hongjoong giggles, squeezing his hand as they continue to walk. 

And, for once in Hongjoong’s life, everything seems to be going fine. 

~

Soobin sits silently in the car, staring at the street as Chan drives them both home. 

“What just happened?” he says. The wolf hybrid looks over at him, shrugs, and then he turns back to face the road. 

“Seonghwa has been supplying our organization for a long time,” he says. “He’s the one who picked me up from San’s apartment and more or less held me as a captive in his penthouse until his next meeting with you guys.”

“But - but why? Why does he still-”

“-Work for the government? Why do you think?” 

Soobin hums, shrugging. 

“What about the snake hybrid?” he says. “How did everything go with him? Is everything okay?” 

“We’ll be meeting him and his friend at the shelter,” Chan says. He sighs. “ _ He’s _ going to be fine, I’m certain of that, but his friend - I don’t know if his friend is going to live. He told me that he wasn’t waking up, though I don’t know how long it’s been since he was last fully conscious. I just hope everything-”

_ “Chan? Soobin? Are you guys there?” _ Jeongguk’s voice suddenly breaks through, shaking with excitement. 

“What is it?” Chan says. “Is everything-”

_ “Jisung’s awake!” _ Jeongguk cries. The car stops and Chan’s jaw drops. 

“What?” Soobin says. “Hyung, I think you’re going to have to repeat that, it seems like Chan-Hyung’s broken.” 

_ “Jisung’s awake, Chan!”  _ Jeongguk says.  _ “Hurry home. Minho’s not letting too many people in at once, but he seems to be fine! Come on!” _

“Okay, see you there,” Soobin says since Chan looks like he can’t do anything but drive. They speed through the streets until they reach the shelter and Chan sprints from the car, Soobin stumbling after him. They take the elevator down and, before the doors even open, Soobin can hear the commotion coming from the infirmary. He and Chan run to the doors where the others have already crowded, clamoring over each other to see Jisung. 

“Everyone, calm down!” Minho yells, his voice thick. The yelling slowly dims into a murmur and Chan shoulders his way through, Soobin using his height to look over everyone’s heads. 

Jisung looks different when he’s awake. His eyes are big and brown and he looks a bit surprised as he slowly drinks from the cup of water Minho probably gave him. The snow leopard sits close to the quokka, watching everyone carefully.

“Jisung?” Chan says. The younger hybrid looks up and he smiles, putting his cup down. 

“Hey, Hyung,” he says softly, his voice hoarse. “How are you?” 

“Holy shit, this is real,” Chan says. Jisung nods as Minho pulls him closer, possessively pressing his face into the crook of his neck. Jisung’s skin glitters under the dimmed lights of the infirmary, and Soobin realizes, then, that they’re tears. His cheeks are the same and his eyes are puffy and red-rimmed, though Soobin doesn’t think that crying is an unreasonable  reaction. He has, after all, just woken up from a coma.

“How is everything?” Jisung says later, after everyone’s gotten their hug or been introduced. Minho took it upon himself to make him a bowl of porridge, though he’d still been a bit hesitant about leaving Jisung, and then the other had pouted at his boyfriend until he’d gone to the kitchen.

“Well,” Namjoon says, shifting in his seat, “it’s been quieter.” 

Jisung laughs loudly while Seokjin hits Namjoon’s arm. The dragon hybrid chuckles and kisses his cheek, smiling against his skin. 

“Gee, thanks,” Jisung says as Minho continues to purr and rub his head over him. “Hyung, stop it, I need to eat.” 

“I missed you,” Minho murmurs. “I love you.” 

“I love you too. Now, could you please let me eat? If you don’t stop, I’m going to spill this on you.” 

Minho scowls, pulling away. He ends up moving Jisung to his lap in the end, though Jisung doesn’t seem to notice as everyone catches him up. 

“And Yoongi-Hyung, Jimin-Hyung, and Hobi-Hyung should be coming with them-”

“Out of the way!” Hoseok yells, pushing them aside. “Jeongguk-ah, come help us. Clear a bed and make sure we have some medical supplies on hand, and Taehyung, it’s a code red, you need to get a move on. Chan, you need to calm your friend down because he can’t come with us into-”

“Yeah, I’ll do it,” Chan says, getting to his feet. “Did anything happen? Any bites?” 

“Not yet, but he’s about to. He doesn’t want us to take Wooyoung from him, now come on.” 

Everyone watches as they leave the room, Taehyung and Jeongguk following quickly. 

“What was that?” Jisung says once they’re gone. “Is everything okay?” 

Everyone turns to look at Soobin, and the panther hybrid forces himself not to cower under all of the attention. 

“I don’t really know who Wooyoung is, but Chan-Hyung has been trying to catch this snake hybrid for a pretty long time,” he says. “He tried to get him some help and now he’s-”

“No, no, no, what if they hurt him? Please, why can’t I be with him?” a new, very distressed voice begs. 

“San-ah, calm down, come on, deep breaths, let’s get-”

“But Wooyoung-”

“-Is going to be fine. Just come with me, okay? We’re going to get you some medical attention, but I need you to calm down.” 

Chan enters the room and everyone watches as he guides a snake hybrid to one of the beds. Seokjin gets up and goes to one of the drawers, pulling out a syringe. 

“What is that?” the snake hybrid - San, probably - says, suddenly noticing him. “What’s in there? What are you doing?” 

“Hey, San, it’s okay,” Chan says. “It’s not for you, right, Hyung?” 

Seokjin puts the syringe down, standing in front of the table, but Soobin can see his hand is still near it. San is looking around at them, his eyes wide and pure black, but then he seems to zero-in on Yeonjun. 

“Wooyoung?” he whimpers softly and sadly and curiously. “Wooyoungie?” 

“It’s because you’re a fox,” Chan turns around to say. He turns back to San and shakes his head, squeezing his hands. 

“No,” he says gently, “that’s Yeonjun. He’s another fox hybrid. If he comes over, you can’t bite him because he’s not Wooyoung. And you have to let us take care of you, okay?” 

San nods, looking dazed as Yeonjun gets up and walks over. Soobin grabs for the fox hybrid’s hand as he passes and squeezes, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

“It’s okay,” Yeonjun says, leaning down to kiss him and Soobin is acutely aware of San’s eyes on them. “I think he’s just scared.” 

“You’re not Wooyoung,” San says. He stares at Yeonjun blinking slowly, and then he turns to Chan. “Is - please don’t help me until Wooyoung’s okay. I don’t want - just, is he going to be okay? Is he going to wake up soon?” 

“We hope so,” Chan says. “But right now, San, you need to eat. Can you eat?” 

“Not hungry,” San says, shaking his head. He starts getting up. “Can you at least show me where he is? Please?” 

“Not right now. Not until you eat,” Seokjin says, crossing his arms. 

San clenches his jaw. 

“I’m not asking-”

“San,” Chan warns. 

“San,” Minho says, his voice quiet as he gets up from Jisung’s bed. “Hi. I’m Minho.” 

The snake hybrid looks down at the hand offered to him, then he looks up at its owner. 

“San,” he says, taking it. “Where am I?” 

“You’re in the infirmary of a shelter,” Minho says. He sits down. “You hungry?” 

“No,” San says. No one misses how his tongue darts out to lick his lips. “Just tired. I’m going to wait here until-”

“We don’t know how long that’s going to be,” Minho says. “And you don’t want to be sick or anything when he wakes up, do you? That’ll just make him feel bad.” 

San shifts in his seat, staring down at his hands.

“He’s been sick for a long time, though,” he says quietly. “He doesn’t talk to me very often, not anymore. He doesn’t like thinking. Or doing anything. It makes him really sad.”

_ That’s really sad, _ Soobin thinks.

“Well,” Namjoon says, “we’re going to put him through rehab here. In the meantime, you need to get better.” 

San sighs heavily before he nods, slowly getting to his feet. Chan leads him to the bathrooms, talking quietly to him as they walk away. 

Seokjin sends Soobin and Yeonjun upstairs to get a room set up for San. 

“What temperature did he say we should put the room at again?” Yeonjun says, looking at his tablet. Soobin hums and walks over, wrapping his arms around the fox hybrid’s middle and hooking his chin over his shoulder. 

“Soobin?” Yeonjun says. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Soobin mumbles, his voice muffled by Yeonjun’s skin. “I just - I dunno. Yeah, though. I’m okay.” 

Yeonjun hums, turning around to kiss him. 

“Good to know,” he says softly. He smiles softly and ruffles his hair. “However, we don’t want San to freeze or anything, and, since none of us know if he’s more ecothermic or not, we have to adjust the heat. Now, what does it say?” 

Soobin snorts and shakes his head as he reads the answer off of the list Seokjin and Namjoon had written together, and then they continue with getting San’s room ready.

The snake hybrid very slowly integrates himself into their daily lives. At first, San seems to be on a rather Minho-like schedule, meaning he locks himself away in the infirmary with Wooyoung, curled up on top of the bed while he sleeps. Jisung has started to learn to walk again, so he doesn’t spend much time there, and, usually, San is away getting something to eat or showering when he does. 

Yeonjun is the one who decides to reach out to him. He gently wakes San one day and asks if he’d like to join them for a movie, to which San finally agrees but only after lots of silent nagging on Chan’s part. He still distances himself from the rest of them while they watch, but, very slowly, San begins to relax. After several days of movie-watching and video game nights, he begins to tell them about Wooyoung. 

“He was . . . we met in high school, I think,” San says absent-mindedly as his fingers fly over his controller. “He had a best friend, Yeosang, and we later all became friends with Jongho, Yeosang’s boyfriend, but then something happened to Jongho and-”

“Jongho? Wolf hybrid?” Taehyun says suddenly. San hums, nodding. 

“Yep, why do you ask?”

“I know him,” Taehyun says at the same time as Beomgyu cries, “He’s here!” 

San turns around, dropping his control and letting his character die in the process.

“He’s what?” he says. “Jongho is - he’s  _ here _ ?” 

“He’s been staying with one of our outside sources,” Taehyung says. He shifts on the couch and Jeongguk grunts in protest. “Big mission planning. Bombing at the Capitol Building, remember?” 

“No?” several people say at once. 

“Is he coming back soon? He’s coming here, right? He lives here?” San says. “Is he okay? He’s alive?” 

“Unless the one we know is a fake, then yes,” Beomgyu says. 

“Jongho? Who’s Jongho?” Jisung says, looking around. “Was he-”

“No, he left the day you woke up and I guess . . . holy shit, no one ever told him Jisung woke up,” Minho says. 

“Where is he?” San says, standing up. “I have to go find him.” 

“Wait, San-” Chan says, but the snake hybrid has already run out the door. Soobin, before he can think about it, gets up and chases after him, grumbling about how much he hates running. He can hear several other people behind him as he runs, following San as he scrambles down the stairs.

It seems, though, like he gets a little lost on his way out because San suddenly skids to a stop and when Soobin does the same, he looks up and finds that they’ve stopped in front of Namjoon’s room. 

“This isn’t-”

And then the door opens, and lo and behold, there’s Jongho with Namjoon and a familiar cheetah hybrid. 

“San?” they both say.


	10. Puzzle

“You’re alive?” is the first thing out of San’s mouth as he stares wide-eyed at Jongho. The wolf hybrid nods slowly, staring at San, and then San’s throwing himself at Jongho, hugging him tightly and sniveling loudly. 

“We thought you’d  _ died _ ,” he says. “Everyone - Everyone was so certain that you’d died, what happened? How did you get out?” 

“San,” the cheetah hybrid says, pulling Jongho away from him, “where’s Wooyoung?” 

“In the infirmary, you don’t have to worry about him,” Namjoon says. “Why don’t you all come and sit down for lunch? You seem to have a lot of catching up to do.” He turns to Soobin, nodding. “And I think that the rest of you should come. We need to start discussing your next task in this sort of . . . rebellion, I suppose. Our schedule. Now, let’s go.” 

“Joon-ah, where’s your cane?” Seokjin says from inside the room. Namjoon looks around, then he realizes he’s been leaning on Jongho and the cheetah hybrid. 

“I think I left it in there,” he says. “Sorry. I’ll-”

“Here it is,” Seokjin says, handing him the cane. He shakes his head and sighs. “You’d forget your head or your wings if they weren’t attached to you.” 

“You’d remember them for me, though,” Namjoon says as he hobbles along. Seokjin snorts and shakes his head as they keep walking, though few people doubt Namjoon. 

Eventually, they make it to the table, and Namjoon takes his place at the head. Minho gets up and heads to the kitchen, Jisung clinging to him as he follows. Namjoon stays silent for a bit, waiting until Minho returns to the table with Jisung in tow. 

“Will you need to get up again?” he says, looking up from whatever he was staring at. Minho shrugs. 

“Sooner or later, yeah. Why?” 

“I want everyone to be sitting at the table for this.” Namjoon lifts his head and looks around, surveying the hybrids sitting around him. Once he counts twenty-three people (gosh, that’s a lot), he sits back and nods. 

“I haven’t brought it up too much, but we’re planning on attacking the Capitol Building,” Namjoon says. He leans forward, lacing his fingers together and looking around. No one seems surprised, so he continues and says, “You’ll be split into two groups. And then we’ll have Yoongi-Hyung and Taehyung in the van to make sure everything works out. Hoseok-Hyung will stay here with me and Jin-Hyung and Wooyoung and maybe Jisung-”

“I want to go,” the quokka hybrid interrupts. Minho hisses at him that he shouldn’t, arguing that he just woke up from a coma, but Jisung shakes his head and crosses his arms. 

“Hyung,” he says softly, “let’s talk about this later. Let Namjoon-Hyung speak.” 

Minho scowls at him as he sits down, crossing his arms and leaning back. Jisung reaches for his hand as a peace offering and Minho, still scowling, grabs onto it, lacing their fingers together. 

“Well, then,” Namjoon says, shifting around, “I guess I’ll tell you the separations. I mean-”

A sudden shriek interrupts him, and then San bolts before anyone can say anything. The cheetah hybrid whose name Soobin  _ thinks _ is Yeosang races after him, and then they’re all running to the infirmary. 

Sitting in the only bed that isn’t empty, Wooyoung has woken up, his eyes wide as he looks around. 

“Yeosang?” Wooyoung says. “Yeosang, is that you?” 

“Wooyoung,” Yeosang says hoarsely. His knees shake once, twice, and then he falls, tears pouring down his cheeks and mirroring Wooyoung’s own face. Soobin turns and finds San to have retreated to a corner, wiping his eyes and sniffling softly. 

“Yeosang,” Wooyoung rasps, “Yeosang, come over here, I miss-”

Yeosang doesn’t need to be told twice as he flings himself at the fox hybrid. He shuts his eyes and grits his teeth as tears pour endlessly down his cheeks, hugging Wooyoung so tightly that it looks like he might snap. Wooyoung sobs and buries his face in the crook of the cheetah hybrid’s neck, sniffling loudly. 

“I missed you so much, God, Wooyoung,” Yeosang whispers. “I was so worried, I’m-”

“I’m sorry,” Wooyoung says. “Yeosang, I’m so sorry, I was so dumb and I hate myself-”

“No,” Yeosang says, pulling away. He sniffles and turns to wipe his nose with the sleeve of his rather nice-looking jacket. “No, don’t say that, Wooyoung. Just,” he sniffles again, holding Wooyoung’s gaze firmly, “try. Try to stop, try to get better. That’s all any of us want.” He gestures to himself, to Jongho, and to San. “We all want you to be okay.” 

Wooyoung nods slowly, looking down at his twisting fingers. Yeosang hugs him again and gets up, though San keeps himself pressed into the corner, his eyes darting around the room, scanning over everything except for Wooyoung.

“Do they want to be alone?” Yeonjun whispers to Yeosang. The cheetah hybrid nods, gesturing at them to leave. They all file out of the infirmary and Soobin turns to look over his shoulder at Wooyoung and San, finding the fox hybrid to be sitting and staring down at his hands while San leans against the wall, looking at his feet. 

_ I hope they’re okay, _ he thinks. He looks around as they all sit down.  _ I hope we’re all okay. _

“Anyway,” Namjoon says when he sits down, “if he’s up to it, I want one of you to tell San the plans, or you can bring him to my room. That aside, I was telling you how you’ll be split up - Chan, you’re going to be leading your pack, yeah?” 

The wolf hybrid nods and Felix squeezes his hand. 

“And then,” Namjoon says, turning to look at the rest of them, “I’m going to have Yeonjun, Huening, Taehyun, Beomgyu, Jongho, Soobin, and maybe San if he’s up for it as their own group.” 

“Who’s leading, Hyung?” Yeonjun says, tilting his head. 

Namjoon turns his attention to Soobin, locking eyes with the panther hybrid. 

“Soobin,” he says firmly. “You’re going to be in charge.” 

“Me?” Soobin says, pointing to himself. He looks around, checking to see if there’s anyone next to him and Namjoon is just forgetting or something. “You - you mean  _ me? _ ”

“Yes, you,” Namjoon says. “There isn’t anyone else here named Soobin, is there?” 

Soobin shakes his head no, but he still continues to stare at Namjoon with a mix of surprise and dazedness filling his head. 

“Are you surprised?” Namjoon says curiously, tilting his head to the side. His horns just barely miss Taehyung. When Soobin nods, Namjoon snorts, smoke puffing and slithering from his nostrils and between his lips. 

“Don’t be,” he says. “We have more to discuss, anyway. If you’d like, I can tell you more, but only after this.” 

Soobin nods yet again, still dazed as Namjoon goes on to explain that an important conference with the Councillors is coming up, one that will be shown on live television. He talks about how it would catch everyone’s attention and how important it is that they wrap this sort of rebellion up. 

“It’s been seven years,” Namjoon says, leaning forward. “I think we’ve been a bit nice up until now, don’t you? It’s about time we actually  _ did _ something, don’t you think so?” 

There’s a chorus of agreement and Namjoon grins brightly, sitting back. 

“Well, then,” he says, “I think we should all start getting ready.” 

Soobin ends up deciding against going to Namjoon to ask about why he was chosen. He doesn’t think he even can, though, since he’s become obsessed with proving that he’s worthy of leading his friends. Yeonjun comes with him and they train together, talking about everything and nothing or simply staying silent. Soobin doesn’t have a favorite and, depending on the time of day, Yeonjun is more or less happy to talk. His voice is nice and he’s always been interesting to Soobin, so it’s nice to spend time with him. 

“Were you really that surprised?” Yeonjun says as he blocks another punch from Soobin. The panther hybrid shrugs, wiping the sweat from his brow. 

“Yeah?” he says. “I mean, I’ve been here for a few months, give or take, and suddenly Namjoon-Hyung wants me to lead you guys in this super important mission? What? Wouldn’t you be surprised if you were in my shoes?” 

Yeonjun shrugs back. 

“Well, I guess, when you put it that way, yeah, I would be,” he says. “However-” he’s interrupted as he ducks and then playfully lunges at Soobin from behind “-I’m not surprised. I think it makes a lot of sense.” 

“Why?” 

Once again, Yeonjun shrugs. 

“Dunno,” he says. “You just seem - I dunno, you’re like - you have a lot of good leader qualities.”

“Yeah, but so does everyone else. Why do I stand out?” 

“Didn’t Joon-Hyung say he’d tell you if you asked?” Yeonjun says, giggling as Soobin drags him down to lie beside him on the mat. Soobin stares up at the ceiling, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. 

“I mean, yeah, he did, but-” Soobin licks his lips “-I don’t wanna ask him.” 

“Is that it or are you just scared?” 

Soobin snorts, rolling onto his side. 

“Both, probably,” he says. Yeonjun laughs as he mirrors him, smiling softly as he reaches out to brush some of Soobin’s hair out of his face. He’s gorgeous like this, his ponytail having grown loose from all of their time spent moving around so that bright pink strands of hair frame his face. His skin glitters under the lights of the gym, making a tiny scar on his chin visible. Soobin pokes the small hole in his lip, tilting his head. 

“You know I have a lip piercing, don’t you?” Yeonjun says. He points to his nose. “Beomgyu has one here, though he doesn’t wear it too much. I think that Yoongi-Hyung has a tongue-piercing, though I’ve never seen it for sure. You’d have to ask Jimin-Hyung. And then Jisung  _ might _ have a gum piercing, but who knows? I think he’s too chicken to do it, but I bet if Minho-Hyung-”

“Hyung,” Soobin says softly, interrupting him, “are you nervous or something?” 

Yeonjun scoffs, looking away as blood rushes to his cheeks. 

“No, not really. Why do you ask?” 

“You’re rambling,” Soobin murmurs. Yeonjun laughs, leaning forward to press their lips together. Soobin can taste the salt of their sweat mixing together. 

“Hyung,” he whines when the older hybrid pulls away, “don’t do that.” 

“Why not? I like kissing you. You have a really cute little rabbit mouth.” 

“Should I be offended by that?” 

“Nah. I said it was cute, didn’t I?” 

Soobin laughs at him, shaking his head as he reaches over and laces their fingers together. 

“Sure,” he says sarcastically. “ _ Sure _ .” 

Yeonjun opens his mouth, probably having come up with some witty retort, but he’s interrupted by the sound of the door opening and footsteps coming in. Both hybrids sit up, turning to face Minho and Jisung as they enter the room. 

“Oh, hey,” Jisung says, waving. He’s gotten a lot better at walking, though he still stumbles every so often. Still, it’s much better than when he woke up. “We just came here to . . . work out, I guess.” 

“Ew, don’t fuck in the gym,” Yeonjun says, scrunching his face up. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Minho says innocently as he pulls Jisung close to him. The quokka hybrid giggles and nuzzles him, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry,” he tells them, “you shouldn’t have to worry about anything as long as  _ someone _ keeps his hands to himself. If he doesn’t, well, then, I won’t be making any promises.” 

Yeonjun gags, shaking his head as he gets up and then helps Soobin to his feet.

“You two are gross,” he says. He crosses his arms, leaning against Soobin. “Anyway, what are your thoughts on . . . well, everything, I guess. How’re you guys coping?” 

“It’s good to be awake, I guess,” Jisung says as he stretches. Minho sits down behind him, leaning over him and earning himself a playful slap. “I mean, holy shit, a lot of stuff happened while I was in a coma, but, other than that, I don’t think it’s that different. And, as for the mission - well, it’ll be nice to get out again.” 

“You seem to have learned nothing from your last experience,” Minho grumbles. Jisung laughs and turns around to kiss him on the cheek, then he leans forward and keeps stretching. 

“What about Wooyoung and San?” Soobin says as he sits down, grabbing a water bottle. 

“What about them?” Minho says.

“How are they? They’re both going through rehab, aren’t they?” Soobin says. Minho hums. 

“Yeah. They come in here at night sometimes. Wooyoung is about as light as a feather and Jin-Hyung just got him to start eating all of his food. San is still pretty traumatized after what happened to Wooyoung, though. I don’t think he knows how to leave him alone,” Yeonjun says. He sighs softly. “We’re supposed to bring San along, though I don’t think he’ll be going unless Wooyoung can. Which, for obvious reasons, is going to be a problem.” 

“We can probably bring Wooyoung-”

The door opens again, and, this time, it’s San and Wooyoung. The fox hybrid is clearly suffering withdrawal, his eyes nervous as he plays with his fingers, and the sight makes Soobin cringe. He’d been passing by when he’d seen Wooyoung strapped to one of the beds in the infirmary as Seokjin had used some sort of sedative on him. He’d cut his nails, then, trimming them down and then giving him a few special shots. San had cried the entire time, hidden in a corner with a blanket over his head as Jongho had rubbed his back. 

“Hello,” San says, bowing his head at them. His black eyes are still so unnerving, and Soobin doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to them. 

“Wooyoung-ah,” San says softly, butting his head against the fox hybrid, “say hi.” 

“Hello,” Wooyoung mumbles, looking at the ground. He’s skinny, terribly so, in the way that Soobin was when he was little. Seokjin’s been feeding him and San obsessively, refusing to take out any meals that haven’t been finished. San tends to eat everything, but only after Wooyoung has finished eating, so it’s gotten them into a bit of a pickle because Wooyung can’t eat too much without throwing up. They’re trying, though.

“You guys wanna come to movie night later?” Yeonjun says then. “We’re just gonna sit together in the living room or whatever. You don’t have to; it’s just something fun we do to let off steam.” 

San smiles at him but Wooyoung turns away, whispering something to him. Soobin’s ears twitch and he picks up the words ‘embarrassed’ and ‘don’t want to be here’ and ‘not in front of them’. The ones he puts the most influence on, though, are ‘you  _ promised _ ’, and they’re whined. San tenses, turning to nuzzle the side of his neck. He whispers his own words and, at first, Soobin can’t understand them. They’re hissy and quick, though soothing nonetheless. 

“No,” San whispers. Soobin’s ears perk up as he listens to the other words, ones like ‘need this’ or ‘helping’ or ‘they’re good people’. 

“ _ San, _ ” Wooyoung says, digging his dull nails into the other hybrid’s arm. “I’m really tired.” 

San stares at him, his gaze firm. 

“No,” he says, “we’re staying here. You need to get better.” 

“I weigh, like, five pounds,” Wooyoung hisses. “I’m a mess. I’m a fucking  _ addict _ , quit bothering with me. You should just  _ leave. _ ” 

The words escape, and Wooyoung claps his hands over his mouth, his ears pointing downward with shame. San stares at him, lower lip quivering. 

“I’m not giving up on you, Wooyoung,” San whispers angrily. Soobin doesn’t think either of them realizes that the rest of them are even in the room anymore. “Now, you’re gonna do a push-up and I’m not letting you go until you do, understand?”

Wooyoung scowls, but he begrudgingly gets down. San sits with him, whispering encouragement in Korean, running his hand over the length of Wooyoung’s back. As they leave, he looks up and stops Yeonjun, grabbing his hand. 

“Thank you,” he whispers. Yeonjun smiles, squeezing his hand. San squeezes back, smiling softly.

And then, turning to Soobin, he says, “We’ll be there. It’s going to take some time, but I promise that we’ll be there. Just you wait.” 

Soobin grins at him and nods, and then he and Yeonjun walk out. 

Wooyoung and Jisung both continue to make progress. Jisung begins walking, and then jogging, and then running, and, soon enough, he and Minho will chase each other around the shelter, laughter following them like a shadow. Wooyoung is much more embarrassed, but San makes a point to take him to the gym every day as well as making sure he eats all of his food. 

“Sit with us?” Wooyoung says quietly one day, looking curiously and cautiously at Yeonjun. The fox hybrid grins brightly and nods, and then Wooyoung nods at Soobin before they walk off. Changbin and Seungmin are already there, talking with San and Jongho and Yeosang, and they’re quick to welcome the rest of them. It’s strangely easy, the way everyone seems to fall into place. Not that Soobin’s complaining, of course, because he’s really happy to see everyone getting along so well. 

He just hopes it can last.

~

Hongjoong never would’ve thought he’d end up here. Sitting at his desk, organizing Seonghwa’s checks in the same meticulous manner that he’d been shown just a few minutes ago. He works slowly, checking over the withdrawals in Seonghwa’s bank account and making sure all of the money is going where it’s supposed to. Seonghwa is smart - he clearly knows how to avoid suspicion and Hongjoong can see the day he started working, noting the money taken from the account. He runs through, looking at the list below him and chewing on his pen tip, furrowing his brow. 

“How are things?” Seonghwa says as he comes in, his voice warm and sweet like melting chocolate. Hongjoong hums half-heartedly, nodding. 

“Everything looks good. As far as I’ve seen, it seems like everything’s in order,” he says. Seonghwa hums back, leaning over his desk to press a kiss to the top of his head. 

“Lovely,” he says, walking off to sit down, “but I was asking about you, darling.” 

“Hm, me?” Hongjoong says, keeping his eyes on the screen even as a small smile makes its way across his face. Seonghwa hums, sitting down and putting on his glasses. 

“Yes, you,” he says. He looks up, arching an eyebrow and leaning forward, resting his chin on his palm. “How are you?” 

“All right, lovebirds, break it up, break it up,” Yeosang says as he walks in. Seonghwa scowls, straightening his posture.

“What? What is it?” he says. Yeosang hands him a folder before sashaying out, his speckled tail hanging behind him. Seonghwa scowls after him, opening the folder and flipping through with a slow sigh.

“Is everything okay?” Hongjoong says, getting up and walking over to his desk. Seonghwa hums, not exactly answering as he looks over the things in the folder. 

“There’s a council,” he murmurs, seemingly to himself. He looks up at Hongjoong. “It is required that I attend.” 

“With - with the Councillors?” Hongjoong says. Seonghwa hums and nods. Hongjoong tries to swallow down his fear. “Will - will I be going as well?” 

“I haven’t decided yet,” Seonghwa says. He sighs. “I just - I’ll tell you when we get home. It’s not something I’d like to talk about here.” 

Hongjoong nods, and then he walks over to press his lips against Seonghwa’s. The snake hybrid sighs, relaxing as Hongjoong runs his fingers through his hair. 

“It’s going to be okay,” he says softly. Seonghwa snorts, leaning in for another peck before taking his hand and squeezing it. 

“I hope you’re right,” he says. “I really, really hope you’re right.” 

Seonghwa drives them to his penthouse and then presses Hongjoong against the hall, kissing him hungrily. Hongjoong kicks his shoes off and knots his fingers in Seonghwa’s hair, though his hands seem to gain a mind of their own as they travel down to Seonghwa’s face to wipe the makeup from his skin. 

“What are you doing, kitty?” Seonghwa says breathlessly as he kisses down the length of Hongjoong’s neck. The cat hybrid purrs, his eyes fluttering. 

“Want to see your scales,” he murmurs, tail curling around Seonghwa’s middle. Seonghwa hums, stepping back. He pats his pockets until he pulls out a little packet of wipes and he slowly begins wiping his makeup off, his tongue sticking out in concentration. Hongjoong giggles and takes the tissue from him, cupping Seonghwa’s face and gently dragging the wipe over his skin.

“You’re so cute, you know that?” he says. 

Seonghwa snorts, shaking his head as he steals a kiss from Hongjoong. 

“Mm. S’been a long time since I was last called that.” 

“Well, you are,” Hongjoong says a-matter-of-fact. Seonghwa laughs and pulls him close, kissing him slowly, languidly, and Hongjoong melts into his arms, sighing heavily. 

“Come on, sweetheart,” Seonghwa says, nosing at the side of Hongjoong’s neck, “we still have to get to the bedroom.” 

“Make love to me,” Hongjoong says, giggly and stupid from kissing as Seonghwa picks him up. The designer huffs as he walks toward the stairs and begins climbing them, shaking his head. 

“I was planning to, don’t worry,” he says. He frowns. “We have yet to do any sort of love-making.” 

“Mm, yeah,” Hongjoong says lazily, more focused on kissing all over Seonghwa’s neck. He licks over the small hickies and bites he leaves, giggling when Seonghwa gasps quietly. 

“Hongjoong-ah,” he warns, “I’m going to drop you if you keep that up.” 

“Will you let me do more when we get to your room?” 

“Mm, of course. You’re worrying me, though, so you’re going to need to stop for now,” Seonghwa says, continuing to walk up the stairs with Hongjoong in his arms. The cat hybrid giggles and pulls him closer, sighing happily. 

“What were you going to tell me earlier today?” Hongjoong says later, lying naked beside Seonghwa. The designer rolls onto his side and blinks at him, then he reaches forward to tuck a strand of hair behind Hongjoong’s ear. 

“There’s going to be an attack on the Capitol Building the day of the conference,” he says softly. “The person I’ve been communicating with told me that they want to make it clear that it was the hybrid coalition.” He bites his lip. “So . . . we’ve decided that it won’t be safe for hybrids - especially in positions like your own - to stay in the city.” 

“What about you?” Hongjoong blurts. Seonghwa avoids his eyes. “Seonghwa, what about you? What if they find out about this? You’ll die!” 

“I know,” Seonghwa says quietly. “But Hongjoong, you guys need to get out of here. You, Yeosang, Mingi, Yunho, Wooyoung, San - all of you are in danger. You have to leave the city, at least until everything settles down.” 

“You’re coming with us, then,” Hongjoong says. “Seonghwa, you can’t - no, you’re going to come with us. No one will - it’ll be fine-”

“It’s too suspicious,” Seonghwa argues. “First, there’s an attack-”

“But you’ll be there, won’t you? Where are they planting the bombs? Near-”

“Near us,” Seonghwa says. He bites his lip again. “I just - I don’t know if I should take you or not. I don’t-”

“I’m going,” Hongjoong says firmly. He grabs Seonghwa’s hands. “We’re in this together now, okay? You don’t have to do everything on your own anymore, Seonghwa. I’m going to go with you.” 

“Then you have to bring your inhaler,” Seonghwa says. “I know it’s stupid, but it’s too risky. You have to bring it with you and I’ll make sure I can get you to a doctor or something ASAP after. And you’re bringing your suitcase so we can leave quickly.” 

“Only if you bring yours too,” Hongjoong says. 

Seonghwa smiles, albeit weakly. 

“Of course,” he says. He squeezes Hongjoong’s hands and kisses his knuckles. “We’re in this together, aren’t we?” 

But, later, as he’s going to the bathroom to get a glass of water, Hongjoong hears Seonghwa talking on the phone with someone, pacing back and forth. He presses himself to the wall, heart thundering in his chest as he listens. 

“I just need you to get three - no, wait, six hybrids,” he says. “I’ll tell you their names - Mingi Song, Yunho Jeong, San Choi, Wooyoung Jung, Yeosang Kang, and Hongjoong Kim. No, only three of them are my employees. Yes, for transport. Yes, they all speak English and you needn’t worry about them being feral, they’ve all gotten their shots. Species? Oh, well, Mingi is a mutt and Yunho’s a purebred golden retriever. San is a snake, Wooyoung is a fox, Yeosang’s a cheetah, and Hongjoong is a cat. Yeah, you won’t get any trouble from any of them, I swear. They’re the best hybrids you’ll ever meet, don’t worry.”

_ Seonghwa? _ Hongjoong thinks.  _ Aren’t you coming with us? _

“Am I going with them?” Seonghwa says then, seemingly reading Hongjoong’s mind. His pacing comes to an abrupt halt and he looks down, sighing and adjusting his glasses. Hongjoong bites his lip and holds his breath, tightening his grip on his glass as he waits for Seonghwa’s answer. 

“Yes,” he finally whispers. “Yes, I’m going to be going with you. You know where I want to go, right? One of the - yes, that’s right. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for everything. Just be there to pick us up, okay? Yeah, okay, thank you so much, it means a lot.” 

Seonghwa sighs as he hangs up the phone, his arm falling to his side. 

“Well,” he says to himself, “that’s one thing checked off of my list. I suppose now all I have to do is pack and contact San.” 

Realizing that he’s coming in his direction, Hongjoong scrambles back to bed and curls up under the blankets, shutting his eyes and leaving his glass on the bedside table as he pretends to be asleep. 

The door opens quietly, sliding open as Seonghwa pads almost silently into the room. Hongjoong’s ears twitch at the sound of fabric rustling, presumably coming from Seonghwa’s robe. And then the mattress is dipping beside him and Seonghwa climbs into bed, pulling Hongjoong close to his body. 

“It’s going to be okay, Hongjoong-ah,” Seonghwa says softly. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Seonghwa takes the day off, telling Hongjoong that he won’t need to go to work either. And, while Hongjoong is in the shower, Seonghwa messages Yeosang and Mingi, telling them that they should both take the day off to pack everything they can.

“Should we drive to your apartment to get your things, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa says as they eat breakfast. Hongjoong hums and nods.

“Yeah. Where are we going?” 

“Some resort. Don’t worry, I doubt it’s permanent. We’re just going to be there for . . . an unknown amount of time,” Seonghwa says. He sighs, dragging his hands over his face. “I’m just . . . I don’t like not having plans, you know? This is just a precaution to make sure nothing bad happens.” 

Hongjoong nods, twirling his spoon in his mug. Seonghwa looks up at him, his eyes soft and curious. 

“You don’t have to come,” he says quietly. “I’m not - it’s just that-”

“No, I’m going to go with you,” Hongjoong says, shaking his head. He brings his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them to keep them in place. “This is - all of this is just really sudden, I guess.” 

Seonghwa chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. 

“You’re not wrong,” he says. He grabs his cup of tea, bringing it to his lips. “This is . . . not what a lot of people would expect of me or you, frankly, and I don’t blame you for needing time to process it. Everything is, I suppose, moving a bit fast.” 

Hongjoong nods slowly, staring into his coffee. He takes his spoon out and taps the few clinging drops of coffee off, placing it on the table. 

“Yeah,” he says quietly, “but . . . but, to be honest, I’m happy about where I am. I mean, my life’s certainly not what I thought it would be but it’s not as bad as it could be.” 

Seonghwa snorts, shaking his head. 

“Sheesh, I’m honored. Your life isn’t as bad as it could be,” he says teasingly. Hongjoong giggles, covering his mouth with his hand. 

“It’s a lot better, really,” he says. He sighs, then, turning to stare out at the sprawling expanse of the city. If he pressed his face up against the window and squinted, he’d see the beginnings of the hybrid districts creeping toward the utopia that the humans get to live in. 

“That’s good,” Seonghwa murmurs. He sighs, getting up and rubbing his temples with his hands. “But, well, we have lots to do. There are sure to be some clothes upstairs for you, go get dressed. I’ll be down here.”

Hongjoong nods, walking up the stairs. He heads into the bedroom and trips over the open suitcase in the front, his hand catching on a drawer. 

It slides open and, out of pure, innocent curiosity, Hongjoong peeks in. 

There are several magazines and newspapers inside. Hongjoong supposes this is where Seonghwa keeps all of the articles pertaining to him since the drawer is full of little clippings from newspapers and such. He sifts through the papers, frowning as he notes the age of them. 

As he nears the bottom of the pile, though, Hongjoong finds more newspaper clippings, but, instead of being in English, they’re all written in Korean. The paper is delicate beneath his fingertips, reminding him of old, drying flower petals as he gingerly looks through them. There’s one about a missing boy who disappeared the day before his wedding, and Hongjoong snorts as he recalls the memory of Seonghwa’s story, continuing to look through. 

The very last newspaper is from more than ten years ago, the date stating that it’s been fourteen years since it was published. Hongjoong stares at it, gently moving the pages until he comes across a picture of a boy, no older than thirteen or fourteen. He looks a bit like Seonghwa, but his eyes are wide and glazed over, blood caked on his skin. Minseok Park - though the article never says his name - was the snake hybrid credited with the deaths of two . . . oh. The letters here have been scribbled over by someone angry, the pen having left indents in the paper. Below, there’s a picture of an old jeep, still smoking. The hunters are pictured next, their bodies mangled by Seonghwa’s fury. 

Hongjoong feels the bile rising up in his throat, and then he rushes to the bathroom and hunches over the toilet, vomiting his breakfast into the porcelain bowl. Seonghwa comes in not long after, crouching down and rubbing his back as a silent understanding passes between them.

[ _ This Is How You Fall In Love _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X43akurPjEQ) __

The drive to Hongjoong’s apartment starts in silence. Hongjoong, however, holds Seonghwa’s hand the entire time, rubbing his thumb over the other hybrid’s knuckles. Seonghwa’s hand is bigger than his, the fingers long and graceful and beautiful. His skin has somehow remained baby-smooth throughout the entirety of his career, and, when Hongjoong points it out, Seonghwa says that snake spit is what does the job. 

“That’s gross, ew,” Hongjoong says, using their joint hands to hit him. Seonghwa cackles as he continues to drive, shrugging. 

“It’s a lot of expensive lotion and hand masks,” he says. Hongjoong snorts, shaking his head. 

“Do you have claws?” he says. 

“Yeah, actually,” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong lets go of his hand and watches as Seonghwa’s nails shoot out, sharp and curved. They’re black at the bottoms, though it looks like he did something to-

“It’s paint,” he says. “You have to be careful when applying it, and it’s a bitch to wash off too.” He scowls. “I’m probably going to take it off soon, just because.”

Hongjoong hums and nods, taking Seonghwa’s hand back and playing with his fingers. 

“It’ll be nice to get a break, don’t you think?” he says. Seonghwa hums and nods, swinging their hands between them. He parks the car and grabs a mask, pulling it over his nose and grabbing his sunglasses before he steps out. Hongjoong leads him inside, still holding his hand, and they take the elevator up to his floor. 

“This is Wooyoung and San’s building,” Seonghwa murmurs as he looks around the elevator. “I wonder why I never noticed.” 

Hongjoong hums, not asking about the people he’s talking about because he doesn’t offer any sort of elaboration. Instead, they both stand there in silence until the doors slowly open and they walk out, hand-in-hand. Hongjoong leads Seonghwa to his apartment and unlocks the door, biting his lip as he walks inside. 

“It’s kind of a mess, I know,” he says, laughing nervously. Seonghwa shrugs as he takes his shoes off and goes to sit on the couch, looking terribly out of place as he looks around curiously. Hongjoong walks quickly to his bedroom, grabbing his suitcase and throwing a few clothes inside. He grabs his sewing supplies and then heads into the bathroom, putting his toiletries into a small bag before walking back to dump it all in his suitcase. 

“It’s cold in here,” Seonghwa notes. He’s hugging himself when Hongjoong comes out, shivering on the couch. 

“Oh, sorry,” Hongjoong says. He walks over to the thermostat and adjusts it, Seonghwa shaking his head as he gets up. 

“No, it’s fine, really,” he says. He walks over and hugs Hongjoong from behind, looming over him. “You’re my little furnace, as long as I have you, everything’s okay.” 

Hongjoong giggles, looking up at him. Seonghwa has his eyes shut but he’s smiling softly, his chin resting on Hongjoong’s head as he rocks them back and forth.

“Well then,” he says softly, “maybe we should get going.” 

Seonghwa hums, nodding slowly as they lumber out of Hongjoong’s apartment. The cat hybrid turns around and locks the door behind them, then they head to the elevator. Seonghwa frowns at one of the doors when they pass, but he doesn’t say anything and Hongjoong dismisses it. 

Eventually, the day of the council arrives. Seonghwa puts on a white blouse with black, diamondback rattlesnake patterns on it, pulling on a pair of black pants. He tops it all off with a long, black fur coat and lots of silver jewelry, pinning a small symbol to his blouse. He’s doing his makeup in the mirror when Hongjoong comes in, earrings dangling. 

“Good morning, Hongjoong,” he says, continuing to apply his lipstick. It’s black like his eyeshadow, and, when he turns to face Hongjoong, the cat hybrid notes that he isn’t wearing contacts. His eyes, though, are the only bits of gold in his ensemble, as the rest of his jewelry - including his lip ring - is silver. 

“Morning,” Hongjoong says. He frowns and tilts his head at himself. “Uh, what should I wear?” 

“Whatever you want, as long as it’s formal,” Seonghwa says. He turns to wink at Hongjoong, then he turns back to the mirror and adjusts his lip ring. 

“So if I wear another skirt-”

“-I’d just better not hear you complain about being cold,” Seonghwa finishes. He turns and tilts his head at Hongjoong. “Don’t you know that I don’t give a shit about what you wear as long as it somewhat fits the occasion and makes sense?”

Hongjoong snorts, shaking his head as he strips and showers. Seonghwa tells him that he’ll be making breakfast before he leaves. When Hongjoong gets out of the shower, he dries off and puts on lotion before going through Seonghwa’s closet, grabbing a black skirt and a bow-tie neck silk blouse. He finds a pair of tights that are somehow the same size and pulls them on, then the skirt goes up, and then the blouse. It’s pretty and white and he twirls in the mirror, then he heads to the bathroom to get ready. 

“I really do love you in skirts,” Seonghwa says when he comes down. Hongjoong laughs loudly and sits at the table, watching as Seonghwa makes his way over. They eat quietly, a sort of stillness in the air that makes Hongjoong want to get up. 

“Do you have your suitcase?” Seonghwa says. Hongjoong hums and nods, tilting his head toward where it sits near the door. Seonghwa’s own bag is beside it, and the designer nods in approval before continuing to eat. 

“Put this on,” he says before they go out. “It’ll keep anyone from thinking you’re a staff member or something.” 

Hongjoong looks down, a scowl making its way onto his face when he realizes it’s the same pin Seonghwa has on his blouse. A tiny shield with a cross and something in Latin written on it, the symbol used to represent the Council is enough to make Hongjoong want to vomit. But he knows that he doesn’t exactly have a choice in the situation, so he sighs heavily and pins it onto his shirt, adjusting his coat so it covers it. 

“Gloves? Mittens? Would you like any? A scarf, maybe?” Seonghwa says as he pulls on a pair of leather gloves. Hongjoong shakes his hand and laces their fingers together. 

“Did you take all of your rings off just to put them back on again over the gloves?” he says as they head out to the car. Seonghwa laughs and grins at him, pulling his sunglasses down. 

“No. Maybe. Yes,” he says, eliciting a giggle from Hongjoong. “Why? Does it bother you?” 

“No,” Hongjoong says as he gets into the car. “Actually, I find it kind of cute.” 

Seonghwa laughs, shaking his head as the door slams shut and they drive off. 

Even before they arrive at the building, Hongjoong can see the crowds of people outside. He scoots closer to Seonghwa and the snake hybrid wraps an arm around Hongjoong’s shoulders, offering him a lollipop. 

“You have your inhaler, right?” he says around his own candy. Hongjoong nods, taking the lollipop and unwrapping it before slowly putting it into his mouth. 

“Uh-huh,” he says. Seonghwa hums and nods, looking around. 

“Okay,” he says. The car stops and the door opens. “You ready?” 

Hongjoong nods, taking his hand. They walk out together and Hongjoong tries to make himself even smaller by pressing closer to Seonghwa, his ears lowered and his tail tucked between his legs. 

“It’s okay,” Seonghwa says. “No one can hurt you here.”

Hongjoong attempts to swallow the lump in his throat as he nods, tightening his hold on Seonghwa despite the reassurance. Only after they’ve entered the building does he let go of the breath he was holding, his shoulders slumping as the tension leaves them. 

“Gosh, that was-”

“Mr. Park?” 

Seonghwa and Hongjoong both turn to see a reporter standing there, head tilted curiously. He’s got large glasses on and dark, curly hair, and he looks to be about Seonghwa’s height. The designer tenses, clenching his jaw. 

“Yes?” he says. 

“Oh, Mr. Park, I’m a big fan,” the reporter says. He holds out his hand. “I’m Woojin. Woojin Kim.” 

Seonghwa smiles tightly. 

“Yes, wonderful,” he says, “but we really have to get going now. It was wonderful to meet you, goodbye!” 

He ushers Hongjoong out without another word, practically shoving him into the elevator in his haste to get away. 

“What was that all about?” Hongjoong says once the doors have closed. Seonghwa shakes his head. 

_ “I’ll tell you later,” _ he says in Korean. Hongjoong nods and then he reaches for Seonghwa’s hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. 

They reach the uppermost floor of the building and the doors of the elevator open smoothly. Seonghwa holds his arm out to Hongjoong and the cat hybrid takes it, chewing on his lower lip as his eyes scan the room. There’s a secretary and a table covered in refreshments, though he doesn’t even think about taking any. He’s much more focused on the Councillors greeting them. They range from fat, old men with more money than they know what to do with to older women and men with just as much money but more years on them. Seonghwa likes them all equally, which is to say not at all. His smile is forced, blackened lips stretching to reveal pristine white teeth as he greets those around him. Hongjoong prefers to remain quiet, though he doubts he’d even be allowed to speak if he tried. 

As they go into the meeting room, though, Hongjoong hears the quiet sound of one of the elevator's doors opening. He turns and glances over his shoulder, his eyes widening at the sight of Chief Bang. However, the wolf hybrid turns and Hongjoong is just quick enough to miss him, though his heart still thunders in his chest as he wonders what could possibly be going on. And then, of course, he remembers what Seonghwa told him. 

_ The Capitol Building is going to be bombed today. _ Hongjoong bites his lips and looks around, but then they’re sitting down as they wait for the meeting to start.

“Why were you invited here anyway?” Hongjoong says later. Seonghwa shrugs. 

“I’m the figurehead, youth representative, blah, blah, blah,” he says, waving his hand. He sighs. “I don’t like it, you know, but it’s not like I have a choice. I just suck it up and hope everything works out.” 

Hongjoong nods, then someone calls for their attention, and both he and Seonghwa have to cut their conversation short. The issue on the table is, as per usual, hybrids. Hongjoong seems to melt into the background as his rights are argued about, though he can already tell where it’s going; they want to impose stricter rules on them, things such as earlier curfew, better security, blah, blah, blah, you know how they are, they’ve been getting rowdier, though, we have to be careful. 

Seonghwa sneaks a glance at him and snickers quietly. However, it appears to be the one time in the entire meeting that he loses any of the tension in his posture. He’s stiff as a board, his coat draped over his seat as he drums his nails on the table. His only other moment of relaxation is when the meeting begins wrapping up. He grabs Hongjoong’s hand and they give tense goodbyes to the Councillors. 

And then, as they make their way to the door, the building shakes and something explodes. 

~

Chan rubs his eyes, sighing heavily. His muscles scream at him to rest, to take a break, and he knows that he probably should, but he can’t seem to make himself stop. He  _ can’t _ mess this mission up, not after everything that’s happened and not with how important it is. This could turn the tides completely, for better or for worse, and Chan can’t afford to fuck it up. 

“Gosh, you sure spend a lot of time in here,” someone says. Chan turns around and finds Felix, his hip cocked out as he watches Chan with crossed arms. The wolf hybrid allows himself a lazy, slightly embarrassed smile as Felix walks over. 

“Sorry,” he says, “you should go back to bed or something. I think-”

“I think you’re gonna come with me,” Felix says, pressing a finger to his lips. “Now come on. It’s late and we’re some of the only people awake. Let’s go.” 

Chan huffs a laugh as he follows Felix out of the gym, probably looking like a lovesick puppy as he trails after the cat hybrid. 

“Come on,” Felix says, gesturing at him to follow. They walk into the kitchen and Felix goes to make some hot chocolate while Chan sits at the table, looking around tiredly. 

“How are you?” Felix says as he sits down. Looking at him makes Chan’s chest hurt, God, he loves him so much. 

“I’m good,” Chan says. He reaches across the table and takes Felix’s hand, squeezing gently. “What about you, sunshine?” 

Felix snorts, shaking his head as he takes a sip from his hot chocolate. 

“I haven’t been sleeping, spending all night worrying about you,” he says, a teasing bite added to his words. Despite his good nature, though, Chan shrinks a bit, his shoulders hunching up to his ears. 

“Yeah,” he says, wincing, “sorry about that. I’m just - I’m really stressed out about everything, you know? It’s . . . I just don’t - I really don’t want to mess this up.” 

Felix squeezes his hand, smiling gently. 

“You won’t,” he promises. “Everything’s going to be okay, Hyung. It’s almost over.” 

Chan snorts a laugh, grinning. 

“Geez, I sure hope so,” he says. He sighs, resting his chin on his free hand. “It’s been so long . . . I’ve never really thought about what would happen after, though.” 

Felix shrugs. 

“Well, it certainly won’t make everything okay just to change a few laws,” he says. “We’re probably not going to get perfect equality, but the laws will be changed, and that’s a huge step forward. As long as we keep working and fighting, things will get better.”

Chan giggles. 

“What are you planning to do after?” he says. “Like, after this is all . . . done, I guess. What are you going to do?” 

Felix shrugs. 

“I might stay here,” he says. “It’s safer, really, but . . . at some point, I think I want to move out. Maybe go to Australia, though I don’t think I want to actually  _ live _ there.” He shrugs again. Then, very shyly and refusing to meet Chan’s eyes, Felix says, “Maybe . . . maybe we could get our own place somewhere. And, I dunno, later in the future, maybe we could get some . . . dogs.” 

Chan turns bright red at the implication of his words, and then he covers his face and giggles loudly. 

“Lix,” he says, “you - oh my gosh, that’s - that’s-”

“It’s totally okay if you don’t want to!” Felix cries, waving his hands frantically. “I mean, I’m just saying, you know, that we could maybe do it sometime in the future, but it’s definitely not set in stone, don’t worry! I-”

“Felix, I was just - I was going to tell you that I think I want that too,” Chan says. He squeezes the cat hybrid’s hand. “It’s - it sounds like - like something we can plan for. Something to look forward to.” 

Felix giggles, blushing as he nods shyly and takes a sip from his hot chocolate.

“Okay,” he says softly. He smiles gently at the wolf hybrid, pretty ears twitching. Chan reaches out to run his fingers through his hair, combing through the long blond strands. 

“Okay?” Chan says. 

Felix nods, his eyes closed as he purrs and leans into Chan’s hand. 

“Okay.” 

They continue getting ready for the attack, and the tension builds in the shelter. Everyone’s always moving, all of them desperate to be as prepared as possible. Chan is no different as he goes over the layout of the building time and time again with Yoongi, hunching over his computer as they check for all of the weaknesses. He sits on the couch in the break room with his hood pulled over his head, tail lying nearby while he looks over the areas surrounding the building. They should be getting in and out before the bombs go off, though, if there’s any sort of hitch in the plan and someone gets up, they’re all going to have parachutes and special trackers. And then, of course, there are the weapons they’ll all be equipped with. Chan chews on his nails, frowning at the screen as he tries to soak up as much information as possible. Due to his instincts and insomnia, he doesn’t mind being awake at night too much, and it’s made even easier by his night vision. Still, it’s a bit scary when he hears anything, always stilling and looking around to check for attackers.

For instance, Chan just heard the soft sound of the doors to one of the rooms sliding open, and now someone’s walking through the halls in his direction. Chan straightens up and looks around with wide eyes, sniffing the air. 

“What are you doing here?” Wooyoung says, his voice scratchy. It’s the first time Chan has seen him without San glued to his side. 

“What?” 

“It’s really late,” the fox hybrid says. He tugs at the hem of his t-shirt. “Why are you still awake?”

“Insomnia. You?” 

Wooyoung shrugs, looking away and not offering anything else as an answer. Chan stares at him curiously, blinking a few times, before he gestures to the space beside him. 

“Wanna sit with me?” he says. Wooyoung looks up, clearly surprised. “It’s not like you’d be a bother or anything - I wouldn’t mind the company.” 

Wooyoung stares at him, scrutinizing the other canine. His face scrunches up when he does it, his ears twitching. His fur looks a lot better compared to when they first met, as does the rest of him. His hair and fur both have a healthy shine to them and he’s filled out a lot, now sporting a bit of muscle on his once-skinny arms. It makes Chan feel proud as Wooyoung walks over and sits down, bringing his legs up to his chest and hiding them underneath his shirt. 

“What are you doing?” he says.

“Just looking over this building,” Chan tells him, shrugging. “I’m just - I’m super paranoid about it - the mission, that is - going wrong. I don’t want to mess it up again.” 

“You won’t,” Wooyoung says quietly. Chan looks over at him, tilting his head. Wooyoung doesn’t take his eyes away from the screen as he says, “You’re . . . you’re a good person. You do things because you care and you do them right. If something goes wrong, well, I doubt it’s ever  _ your _ fault.” Now, he turns to look at Chan, holding his gaze firmly. “You just like to take the blame for things. You’re like San.” 

“What?” Chan says, a bit surprised by the suddenness of this. Wooyoung refuses to let him look away. 

“San,” he says. “He takes - he blames himself for my addiction. He thinks he’s the one responsible for it.” Wooyoung shrugs, finally looking away, though Chan doesn’t blame him - he’s clearly humiliated by his addiction. “It was never anyone’s fault but my own. I’m the one who got involved in that kinda stuff again, and I just happened to drag San down with me. That’s how it went, that’s what happened.” He shrugs yet again, reaching up to wipe away a small, lonely tear. “That’s what happened.” 

Chan stares at him, unsure of how to react. He blinks a few times, watching as Wooyoung wipes at his eyes. 

“He doesn’t think that?” he finally says. Wooyoung nods. 

“Fuckin’ idiot,” he spits. “I don’t know why I love him. It’s hurting him. And it hurts me ‘cause he’s hurt. Dammit, why can’t I hate him for being so perfect?” He looks up, blinking quickly. “I love him so much, why can’t he just leave me?” 

“Because he loves you too,” Chan says, his laptop long forgotten. “He loves you a lot, a whole lot, probably more than anything. He’d do anything for you.” 

“Yeah, well, so would I and that stupid idiot needs to learn some self-preservation.” 

“He wants you to have the world. He just . . . he cares about you a lot, and he wants you to be happy and healthy.” 

“Yeah, well, I want that for him and he’s not gonna get it if-”

“Why aren’t you trying to get healthier for him?” Chan says. Wooyoung glares at him. “I mean, it seems like it’s a win-win situation for you both since both get to be happy. If you’re healthy, he’s happy, so you’re happy. You’re both doing really well right now, so I think . . . I think there’s no need for either of you to leave or anything. I think you guys can just stay here and see how things turn out.” 

Wooyoung is silent for several minutes. He stares ahead blankly, tonguing the inside of his cheek as his tail waves around behind him. The light from Chan’s computer screen gives it a shadow, making it look like one big, fat snake. 

“You’re kind of like a dad, aren’t you?” Wooyoung finally says. Chan shrugs and then he nods. “Yeah, it seems like that wasn’t your first time coaching someone out of a stupid decision or whatever. You seem like you know what you’re doing.” 

“I guess,” he says, shrugging yet again. “I’ve been pretty independent for my whole life, so I can see where it comes from.” 

“Yeah, well, you suck at taking care of yourself.” Wooyoung pushes himself up off of the couch, turning to face Chan and holding his hand out. “Let’s make a deal. 

“A deal?” Chan says, looking up at him. “What kind of deal?” 

“I’ll work harder so I can join you guys for your mission and you’ll start taking better care of yourself. How’s that sound?” 

Chan chuckles, looking up at him. Wooyoung tilts his head curiously, brown-gold eyes catching on the bluish light from Chan’s still-open laptop. 

“Well?” he says when Chan continues to stare at him. “Whaddaya say?” 

Chan laughs then, shaking his head as he takes Wooyoung’s hand and shakes it. 

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” 

It’s a pretty good deal, actually. Chan is sure that everyone notices how he goes to bed earlier, Felix trailing behind him, and how he shows up to every meal and cleans off his plate, though that isn’t exactly new. Wooyoung is the same, and they both make sure to go to the gym, though San is always glued to Wooyoung by the hip. 

“What happened between you two?” Felix says, clinging to Chan’s arm. They’re watching the others as they play video games, shouting and laughing and cursing each other. Wooyoung has one of the controls and San is holding onto his shoulders while Seungmin half-sabotages half-encourages Changbin. 

Chan leans over to kiss Felix on the head.

“We just talked,” he says softly. “We made a deal that he’d work harder to get better and I’d start taking care of myself.” 

Felix hums and nods, though Chan can still tell how jealous he is. Giggling, he leans down and nuzzles the side of his face. 

“Aw, Lixie,” he coos, “there’s no need to be jealous. You know you’re my only one.” 

Felix hmphs, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I’m just asking a question,” he grumbles. Chan giggles again and kisses him softly, running his fingers through his hair. 

“I know,” he says when he pulls away. “Just telling you.” 

Felix scowls at him, but it isn’t long before he’s curled up beside Chan, fast asleep on his lap. 

Finally, though, they’re all eating dinner the night before the mission. Everyone is so nervous that there’s hardly any chatter whatsoever, not even from the most talkative people at that table. Hoseok, Taehyung, Jimin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Hueningkai, Jisung, Hyunjin, Felix, San, and Wooyoung are all largely silent for the near entirety of dinner. 

“All of you should go to bed early,” Namjoon says, finally breaking the silence. He lifts his head slowly. “I’d better not hear about anyone staying up late again.” His eyes land on Chan and then Hyunjin and he tilts his head at them, blinking a few times. 

“Okay, ‘dad’,” Hyujin says, giggling. Namjoon snorts and then he looks at Chan, arching an eyebrow.  _ Well? _ his expression asks. 

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Chan says, pausing before adding on, “dad.” 

Namjoon laughs loudly, shaking his head. 

“Eat your food, you two,” he says, no real bite in his voice. He pauses, smiling gently at them. “It’s good that you’re joking around.” 

Cha grins back at him, and then he keeps eating. Later that night, he and Felix lie curled together in bed. 

“I think I’ve fallen in love with you,” Felix whispers against his skin. Chan hums, combing his fingers through his hair. 

“Me too,” he whispers back. “I think I love you too.” 

Felix giggles, looking up at him and tilting his head. Even though he’s a siamese cat hybrid, his eyes are still brown, though Chan can’t imagine him with any other shade, much less blue. He likes Felix’s brown eyes. They’re warm and soft and comforting, full of countless emotions that make Chan’s heart do happy little somersaults in his chest. He presses the cat hybrid closer to his body and then kisses him, sighing against his lips. 

“All right, now,” Chan whispers, “I think we should actually go to sleep now.” 

“Sure, sure, Mr. Insomniac,” Felix says, but Chan can already tell he’s nodding off from the way his words slow. Smiling gently, Chan rests his chin on top of Felix’s and closes his eyes, and, for once, sleep comes easily to him. 

Seokjin comes in to wake them all up. Felix is already awake, though, and he shakes Chan awake before Seokjin comes in. 

“Come on, Hyung,” he whispers, “we have to get ready.” 

Chan grunts, getting up slowly and shuffling toward the bathroom, trailing after Felix. They brush their teeth and then get dressed, helping each other with their disguises. 

“Let’s go get breakfast,” Felix says, tugging him along. Chan nods, and then they head down the hall. Chan can hear the others getting up and Hyunjin joins them, dragging a sleepy Jeongin behind him. When they get to the mess hall, Yoongi, Jimin, and Namjoon are all already sitting at the table, eating as a small sort of pyramid without a tip projects the layout of the Capitol Building. 

“Good morning,” Jimin says when he sees them. Jeongin and Chan both grunt as they sit down and Chan begins eating, blinking slowly as he tries to wake himself up.

“Are you guys excited?” Jimin says. Chan shrugs, deciding to stay silent just like everyone else at the table. It’s better to stay quiet for some reason, though he can’t really explain it - it just feels like saying something will ruin the cool exterior he has. 

Eventually, though, the table fills up and the silence is replaced by a desperate sort of chatter that controls them all. These words, it occurs to Chan, are everyone’s maybe-goodbyes. No one knows who’s coming back and, even if most missions are successful, that doesn’t mean everyone returns. So the words come endlessly, piling on until hardly anyone can understand anything, a mixture of Korean and English filling the room. Different dialects, accents, and languages surround Chan and he eventually forgoes trying to understand everything, simply eating his food quietly as everyone clamors to speak.

Eventually, though, they all finish their meals. An awkward silence replaces the busy chatter of the room, draping over them all as they wait for some sort of speech or whatever. 

Namjoon looks around, golden eyes blank. And then, very slowly, he sits up, wings adjusting to his chair. 

“Well then,” he says, “I’ll be the one to send you off. Just . . . just come back safely, all right?” Chan looks at him, and he finds that there’s fear in the dragon hybrid’s eyes. “I don’t - it’s fine if you can’t succeed, as long as everyone comes back. Alive and preferably unscathed, though I don’t truly mind injuries as long as you’re all alive. How’s that sound? Manageable?” 

Chan laughs nervously, shrugging. 

“We’ll try, Hyung,” he says. Namjoon nods, chewing on his lower lip as he watches them all get up. He follows them to the door, tail dragging behind him as he walks. 

“Come over here, Chan-ah,” he says, opening his arms. The wolf hybrid presses himself against Namjoon’s chest, closing his eyes and inhaling the thick scents of smoke and incense. Namjoon pats him on the head, sighing softly. “Stay safe, okay? I love you.” 

Chan hums. 

“Love you too, Hyung,” he says. He hugs Seokjin next and the other hybrid whispers how he loves him and he makes him promise to stay safe. When Chan pulls away, he can see the others doing the same, and he prays silently that he can bring everyone back in one piece. 

“You nervous?” he says to Soobin as they head out. The panther hybrid has been near-silent all morning except for a few quiet whispers with Yeonjun, and his lower lip is close to bleeding. 

“Yeah,” he says. He looks around, checking that he has everything. “I mean, well, holy fuck, this is real. We’re going to do this. And I’m in charge of something.” 

Chan shrugs, gently hitting him on the back. 

“You’re gonna do great,” he says. He spins his helmet around, staring at the perfectly-polished surface. “I mean, I threw up before my first mission. You can’t-” He looks over at Soobin and finds that the panther hybrid has taken an interest in his shoes, chewing on his lip. “Oh, shit, sorry. Well, then, I guess I’ll just tell you that it doesn’t matter too much that you did it. Now come on, we’ve got a meeting to crash.” 

Soobin snorts, shaking his head at Chan as he playfully salutes him and heads to his car. Felix is already inside, blond hair pushed back from his face as he looks over the building and the plans. 

“You’ve got the locations memorized?” he says. 

Chan nods, starting the car. He looks around, finding San and Wooyoung in the back, and they both wave. 

“Hey,” San says. “Fancy seeing you here.” 

Wooyoung snorts and hits him, shaking his head. San grins proudly and Chan can only shake his head as he begins driving out of the garage, headed toward the Capitol Building. 

[ _ MIROH _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xwP0DAzqdY)

They arrive early and head to their locations. Chan hates having to leave Felix and the others but he knows he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Sighing under his breath, Chan walks through the building, listening to the quiet hum coming from Yoongi and Hoseok’s ends of the comms. 

_ “How are things?” _ Yoongi’s voice crackles through his earpiece. Chan hums. 

“Looking good, nothing so far,” he says casually. “How about you guys?” 

_ “Seonghwa just came in,” _ San says, his voice smooth but still unable to hide its panicky tones. Chan tenses. 

_ “Should I tell Namjoon?” _ Hoseok says.  _ “Or-” _

_ “Just keep going,” _ Soobin says.  _ “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Also, everything is going to go down during the break, and he’s been notified. Just keep doing what you have to.” _

Chan nods to himself, chewing his lip as he walks through the empty halls. His heart pounds harshly against his chest as he presses small explosives here and there, then he takes the elevator upstairs. 

Hongjoong and Seonghwa are entering the room just as the doors open. Chan is half-tempted to chase after them and come up with a reason as to why they shouldn’t be here, but he doubts he’d be able to keep it up for long. Besides, it’d be too suspicious for Seonghwa, and, if it’s discovered that he’s a hybrid, well, he won’t be alive for much longer. 

So, Chan is forced to bite his tongue and hope that everything works out. He hides from the other officials, pressing himself into small storage closets. Yoongi should have taken care of the security cameras by now, and Jeongin gave them the all-clear since he’s the one watching them. If anything happens, he’s got a bunch of magnets and other devices to destroy the tapes, though, after seeing the damage the program that Yoongi sent can do, Chan doubts it’ll be needed. 

_ All right, _ he thinks to himself,  _ everything’s going to be okay. Everything’s doing what it should, I don’t have anything to worry about. _ He nervously eyes the doors of the council room, chewing on his lower lip as he glances down at the explosives stuck to them.  _ Well, almost nothing. _

Chan shakes his head, scolding himself for thinking about anything going wrong, and then he continues moving. 

It feels like a dream when he gets outside and everyone’s in one piece. He has his pack with him, he can see them, but he does a headcount just in case.

_ Jeongin, Hyunjin, Changbin, Seungmin, Minho, Jisung, and . . . _

“Where’s Felix?” he says when he realizes that the cat hybrid’s missing. Everyone looks around and Chan feels panic spike through him as he looks back at the building. 

“I’ll tell the Hyungs, you go and look for him,” Minho says. He squeezes Chan’s hand and then hugs him. “He’s okay. He would’ve signaled-”

Just then, their earpieces start whining loudly, and Chan has to yank his out before it finally stops. 

“I’m going to go in after him,” Chan says. He turns to look over his shoulder. “Don’t wait for me, okay? I’ll - I know the emergency procedures, just keep moving and report back to Hyungs and everyone else. I’ll signal if I need help, just tell Yoongi-Hyung to stay here, he might be injured. Okay, that’s enough talking, love you!” 

He doesn’t wait up as he bounds toward the building, running up the stairs and taking two at a time. He can’t risk the elevators, and-

_ “Chan, I have his signal pinned, it should show up on your Mini-Tablet. We’ll keep the van waiting for you, but you only have-” _ Yoongi’s voice goes static and Chan growls to himself, gritting his teeth. At some point, his netting must have come off because his ears are pointed upwards and high-alert, his tail swaying behind him. It was probably when they got out of the building and he realized that Felix was missing, that’s probably when he took it off. Dammit. 

_ “Where’s Felix? How is he?”  _ Seokjin says. Shitshitshitshit. 

“I’m working on it,” Chan says, panting with exertion. He curses under his breath and shakes his head, stopping to lean against the wall. He unlocks his Mini-Tablet and opens the file Yoongi sent him. A little blue dot showcases where he is and there’s a blaring red one for Felix. He’s still a little ways away from where Chan is, but it’s nothing unreasonable. 

However, after a quick glance at the timer, Chan finds that he only has a few minutes left to get in and grab Felix. 

“Fuck, that’s not good,” he says. Shaking his head and licking his lips, Chan tries to swallow his exhaustion before he continues running up the stairs.

When he arrives on the floor, he kicks the door open and the scene before him makes Chan want to scream. 

_ So that’s where that bastard went, _ a rather delirious part of Chan’s brain thinks. He shakes his head and reaches for the weapon on his belt, keeping a careful eye on the two males before him. 

Felix claws valiantly at the hand wrapped around his neck, his face already a scary shade of red. His tail lashes furiously, though it’s clearly getting tired, and a thin sheen of sweat coats his skin. His hair is messy and he doesn’t appear to have a weapon on him. He looks at Chan with a determined glare, though, his eyes trying to convince the wolf hybrid to leave. 

“Channie - Channie-Hyung,” he chokes out. Woojin finally turns to look at him and, despite the blood covering his hand and lower arm, he looks victorious. Probably because he has Felix in a chokehold and he is  _ going to kill him if Chan doesn’t do anything right now. _

“Put him down,” Chan says, lifting the gun. He hates it, he doesn’t want to kill anyone, he hates killing people. “Woojin, listen to me. Just put him down.” 

“Why should I?” Woojin says, tilting his head curiously. His glasses are askew, his hair messed up like Felix’s, and there are a few bruises forming on him. Felix, however, has blood dripping from his nose and the skin around his right eye is purpling. Chan reins his instincts in, forcing himself (or trying to) to stay calm.

“He doesn’t deserve this, just put him down,” Chan says. His hands are shaking so much and he’s nearly 100% certain that both Woojin and Felix can see it. His heart thunders in his chest and he fights a whimper that tries to push past his lips, his breathing heavy. “Felix never did anything to you.” 

“Oh,  _ Felix,” _ Woojin spits and the cat hybrid’s ears press against his hair as the saliva hits his face. “Fuckin’ perfect, isn’t he?” 

“Look, you can take me in instead,” Chan says. He slowly lowers his gun, keeping an eye on how tight the grip around Felix’s throat is. It’s somewhat relaxed since he arrived, but Woojin could still break Felix’s neck without a thought. 

“Why? Why don’t I just take both of you?” the man growls. Chan digs his teeth into his lower lip and steals a glance at Felix. His face is still red but he seems to have caught a few quick breaths, though he still has that same look in his eyes; it’s telling Chan to leave him, making false promises that he’ll be there, that he’ll be right behind him. Chan doesn’t believe any of it. 

“What do you have against him, anyway? Felix would never hurt anyone,” Chan says.  _ Keep him talking, keep him talking, you can get back up that way. _

_ Don’t forget the bombs, _ something else whispers, and he curses inwardly, accidentally pressing a little harder against the trigger. Woojin, however, catches sight of the action and tightens his hold on Felix, and then Felix releases a little squeak, tensing up. 

“Put him down, just put him down,” Chan says, hating how he’s unable to keep his voice even. Felix shakes his head again, and Chan wants to scream. At Woojin, at Felix, at himself - he just wants to scream. And, of course, he wants to save Felix and get out of here, but that’s a given. 

“-favorite,” Woojin is saying, and it takes Chan a few seconds to realize that he’s been talking for a while now. Cursing yet again, Chan shakes his head and slowly lowers his gun. It seems to get Woojin to loosen his hold on Felix and his theory is proven right when the cat hybrid takes several grateful breaths in quick succession. 

“There are more than a dozen explosives in this building,” Chan says. He gestures around with his free hand. “This is the top floor. This is the floor we want to hit the most. We’re going to-”

“Do you think I care?” Woojin snaps. Chan jerks away, taken aback. “No, not at all. You guys are just going to go down with me.” 

“Channie-Hyung, Channie-Hyung,” Felix rasps. Woojin once again tightens the hold he has on his neck and Felix chokes, claws digging into the man’s skin. Nonetheless, he continues speaking and says,  _ “Get out of here.” _

“I’m not leaving you behind,” Chan says. It’s much more of a growl, though, and he can tell the tone surprises everyone in the room, even Woojin. However, he’s quick to recover from his shock. 

“Aw, the knight in shining armor came to save his helpless little damsel in distress.” Felix’s eyes fill with fury and he grits his teeth, digging his nails into the arm even harder, enough that Woojin cries out. However, it’s somehow not enough. 

“Woojin, just put him down,” Chan begs.  _ “Please.” _

“No,” Woojin says through gritted teeth, though he’s still smiling. Chan wants to shoot him more than anything right now, though he has no doubt that he’d somehow still feel guilty afterward. “No, I won’t-”

Felix lifts his hands up and slams his claws into Woojin’s arm, and it’s enough for him to be dropped. He holds his throat and coughs but somehow isn’t distracted enough to miss the kick thrown at him by Woojin. Felix rolls onto his back and scrambles away, crawling on the ground. 

“Felix, look out!” Chan yells, feeling absolutely useless as he tries to run toward the cat hybrid. Felix is still crawling and Chan is delirious enough to think about screaming at him to run, though the more sensible part of his brain knows that it wouldn’t do any good. 

Felix cries out as a foot collides with his stomach, curling up with a whimper. 

“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck,” Chan says as he rushes forward. He uses his shoulder to push Woojin out of the way, blocking Felix with his body. 

“Come on, Lix, you have to get up, we have to get out of here,” he says. He doesn’t bother looking over his shoulder, too worried about the cat hybrid in front of him as he tries to gather him into his arms. His harness, where is his harness?

“Stupid hybrid,” Woojin spits and then Chan yelps as he’s kicked in the back. He hunches over Felix, desperately trying to protect the other hybrid from any more harm.

“Let us go, please,” Chan says. There’s spit coming out of his mouth, pooling where it drips onto the ground. He doesn’t care, he just needs to get himself and Felix out of here.

“Why? I have you both cornered, I could just turn you in right now,” Woojin says. Chan feels the tears pricking his eyes.  _ No, I’ve failed, no, no, no, just get Felix out of here.  _ “One word from me and this place is swarming with White Guards and you two are done for.” 

_ Not Felix.  _

Woojin crouches down beside him and Chan feels something pressed into his hand. His eyes dart down to Felix, but the cat hybrid’s eyelids flutter weakly. However, he still manages to glance briefly at the small object in Chan’s hand. 

It’s a knife. 

“And-”

Chan, going only with his instincts and his  _ need _ to protect Felix, whips around and slams the knife into Woojin’s shoulder. And then he grabs Felix, strapping him to his chest. His mental timer is telling him that he has mere  _ seconds _ before the bombs go off, and, if he wants to get out, he’s going to have to slam into that window with all his might. 

“Okay, hold on, Lix,” he says. He feels hands grabbing weakly onto his chest, then Felix wraps his arms and legs around Chan, holding as tightly as he can. Chan grabs a mask for himself and then fits it onto Felix, then he runs toward the window. 

However, just as he gets there, a hand snags on his ankle. Chan looks over and finds Woojin to be sitting up slowly, his hand wrapped around his ankle. 

_ Three . . . _

Chan’s eyes swoop the room and then they land on the gun in his belt. 

_ Two . . .  _

He looks at Felix and then at Woojin, and then he grabs the gun and chucks it as hard as he can at the window. He slams his foot against Woojin’s wrist and then he runs as fast as he can toward the window, his shoulder angled toward the glass as he pulls a pair of goggles over his eyes. And then, somehow, Chan leaps from the window.

And then the building explodes. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos much appreciated! Also, updates should be every week, just an FYI


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